Programme

A New Europe: What Is Russia to Expect?

06 Jun , 15:00–16:15
The Global Economy in Search of a Balance
Valdai Discussion Club Session
Pavilion F, conference hall F3

The European Union has entered a period of fundamental changes. The model of integration that was created in the mid-20th century and achieved great success by the early 21st century will be changing. The world as we knew it has come to an end. The balance of economic and political forces is shifting toward Asia. The old type of relations between Europe and the United States recedes into the past. New political forces and economic interests are emerging within the European Union. The entire landscape is undergoing transformation. For geographical and historical reasons, the European Union, Europe will remain Russia’s crucial partner. However, today the EU–Russia relations are stagnating. On the one hand, the two sides have broad and deep economic, cultural, and human ties. On the other, political contacts are rather sporadic while economic restrictions (the so-called sanctions) are poisoning the business atmosphere. But most importantly, Russia and the European Union do not have an understanding of what model of relations they can have on the new stage. The old notions, which took shape in the 1990s and were maintained throughout the 2000s, are no longer relevant. It is obvious that today we need to begin to operate under a new model, which will inevitably be in demand within a few years. What will become of the European Union? What place will it occupy in the palette of Greater Eurasia from the Pacific to the Atlantic? How will the relationship between Russia and the EU develop in these conditions?

Moderator
Ryan Chilcote, TV Host, Special Correspondent, PBS NewsHour

Panellists
Dimitrios Velanis, Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic
Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Chief Editor, Russia in Global Affairs Journal
Mario Mehren, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Wintershall Dea GmbH
Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary
Vladimir Chizhov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the EU
Alexander Shokhin, President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

Broadcast