Valdai Club

This Valdai Discussion Club session examines the range of problems in Russia–EU relations, the prospects for resolution going forward, and the mutual expectations of both parties.

Greater Europe is going through a period of crisis, while the European Union is facing numerous internal problems and requires transformation to meet new challenges, Russia, on the other hand, needs a new development model to accomplish an economic and social leap. What steps does Greater Europe need to take in order to realize a new system that heeds the lessons of the 1990–2000s' model, factor in an array of new circumstances and lays foundations for coordinated development for the entire continent? How can this new system be made ambitious enough to realize the development potential, while remaining realistic and avoiding utopias akin to the “Common European Home”?

Moderator:

Ali Aslan, TV Presenter, journalist


Panellists:

Andrei Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Alexander Medvedev, Deputy CEO, Gazprom

Rainer Seele, Chairman of the Executive Board, Chief Executive Officer, OMV AG; President, Russian-German Chamber of Foreign Trade

Hubert Vedrine, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic (1997-2002)

Evgeny Vinokurov, Director, Centre for Integration Studies, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)