EU-RUSSIA RELATIONS CONFERENCE-18 FEBRUARY 2014

The Hanns Seidel Foundation and the European Security Round Table are organizing a Conference on 18 February on the topic 'After the EU-Russia Summit: Cold Peace or Strategic Partnership? that will take place at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union.

Among the distinguished speakers :Mr. Michael Hinterdobler, Director, Bavarian Representation, Dr. Gabriele Stauner, MEP, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, EPP Group, Mr. Elmar Brok, MEP, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Member of the Bureau, EPP Group, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Chizhov, Amabassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representtaive of the Russian Federation to the EU, Dr. Christian Trippe, Head of Studio Brussels, Deutsche Welle and Mr. Christoph Raab, Chairman, European Security Round Table.

Background

EU-Russia relations are actually healthier than their reputation despite the cancelled dinner at the last summit. The interdependence goes far beyond economics, finances, energy and security? However, close relationships also generate tensions. Central and Eastern Europe's societies are traumatized by Soviet domination and still, Moscow intensifies relations with countries in the post-Soviet regions offering loans as well as gas and oil deliveries in exchange for 'proper' behaviour. On the contrary, Moscow complains vis-à-vis Brussels that visa liberalization is not happening fast enough, and Russia's gas monopolist Gazprom feels discriminated against in the European internal market. As for the EU-Russia affairs in general, economic relations are flourishing wheras the political dialogue is stumbling. Despite Olympics in Sochi and President Putin's pardoning of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Pussy Riot, doubts about sustainable liberal reforms in Russia remain.

Russia is Europe, historically, politically, and culturally. Russia is very much interested in an effective and stable EU. The cooperation in four common spaces as well as the strategic partnership for modernization is supposed to result in a free trade area from Lisbon to Vladivostok. However, reality lags behind this objective.

The economic and financial crisis is currently still dominating Europe. The EU's attractiveness cannot be taken for granted; new regions are gaining economic and geopolitical importance. The EU must consider these developments when conducting its Foreign and Neighbourhood policy.