United Europe is cooperation partner of three highly political podium discussions (in German language), taking place in the Bonner Akademie für Forschung und Lehre praktischer Politik (BAPP) in March and April.
The series starts tomorrow, Thursday, 27th February, 2020, at 19:00 hrs with a talk about the relations between Russia and Europe.
Panelists are Ronald Pofalla, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Petersburg Dialogs e.V., Matthias Platzeck, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German-Russian Forum e.V., and the journalist and Russia expert Golineh Atai. The discussion will be moderated by Anja Bröker, presenter and former foreign correspondent of ARD in Moscow.
“Russia is an important player on the world stage and and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, indispensable in resolving political conflicts.” On the fringes of the Libya conference in Berlin a few weeks ago, government spokesman Steffen Seibert stressed the importance of a constructive dialogue with Vladimir Putin.
Chancellor Angela Merkel had already travelled to Moscow in December 2019 together with France’s President Emanuel Macron and England’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson to de-escalate the Iran crisis. Following a delegation of politicians led by FDP leader Christian Lindner, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder sought talks in the Kremlin at the end of January 2020. Overdue policy of détente or buckling down in the face of power mogul Putin?
Russia’s actions in Syria, the annexation of the Crimea, Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine and, most recently, the case of a murdered Georgian in Berlin are not only clouding German-Russian relations. Despite recurring reports of restrictions on civil and human rights, German companies are demanding more efforts by the German government to expand trade relations. German exports to Russia currently amount to around 20 billion euros per year. At the same time, the North Stream 2 natural gas project celebrated by both sides holds new potential for conflict.
The event is organised by the Bonner Akademie für Forschung und Lehre praktischer Politik (BAPP) in cooperation with United Europe and Brost Foundation and takes place at Heussallee 18 – 24, 53113 Bonn.