What will be the implications for EU policy and its knock-on effects for the business community of recent Russian elections and the arrival of Mr Dmitry Medvedev as the new Russian President? The Executive Seminar on EURussia Relations, organised by the Development Office of the College of Europe on 17-18 April, will provide an excellent opportunity to consider the implications of these recent changes and will bring together senior EU policy makers with representatives of well-placed companies and international organisations.*
In an intimate setting, with not more than 25 participants, the Executive Seminar will assist companies and other organisations to shape strategies for responding to the emerging Russian political scene and the evolving EU policy response, making the most of the unique experience of the College in European affairs. The opening session on the late afternoon of 17th April will focus on the recent evolution of EU-Russia relations and the likely consequences for trade and investment opportunities. The Ambassador of Russia to the EU, H.E. Mr Vladimir Chizhov, and Sir Andrew Wood, former British Ambassador to Moscow, will share their observations with participants, giving practical insights into EU-Russia relations. Following cocktails and dinner, Mr Gunnar Wiegand, Director responsible for EU-Russia in the European Commission, DG RELEX, will give an informal briefing on how the EU sees its strategic relations with the Russian Federation, which is one of the EU’s most important trading partners. TNK-BP, ENEL and Unilever will share their up-tothe- minute experience with participants in the full day programme on 18th April. The day will start with a panel on EU-Russia Trade & Investment Issues, lead by Dr Brigita Schmognerova, Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and formerly Minister of Finance of Slovakia, as well as a former Deputy Secretary General of the UN. She will be joined on the panel by Dr Andrei Korotkov, Executive Advisor to the Director General for the Russian Railroad Company (one of the mammoths of the Russian business scene), who was until recently Executive Vice President of VTB, the former Vneshtorgbank, Moscow, which was successfully transformed into one of Russia’s most successful commercial banks. Mr Antoine de Sainte Affrique, Director of Unilever in Moscow, will give the participants the benefit of his unrivalled expertise on Russian consumer markets.
The Business of Energy Diplomacy will be the focus of the second panel, which will examine the rise and impact of economic nationalism in Russia and the diplomacy associated with Russia’s vast energy industry. Mr John Baldwin, Group Political Advisor of BP regarding BP-TNK, the joint venture company, and Mr Dominique Fache, the Manager for Russia with ENEL of Italy will be joined by Dr Yelena Kaluyzhnova, Director of the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies at Reading University, UK, who has written authoritatively about the often difficult negotiations to secure oil and gas pipelines from Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus to the EU. Following a lunch for speakers and participants that we hope will give many networking opportunities, the afternoon session will start with a presentation by Mr Leopoldo Rubinacci, Head of the Unit in DG Trade (European Commission), negotiating with Russia and the Central Asian countries.
The Prospects for a Strategic Dialogue will be the focus of the final afternoon panel, looking at how Russia-EU negotiations might shift from short-term tactical to more strategic, long-term objectives. Lead by Dr Carl Hallergard of the EU Council Secretariat, together with Dr Fraser Cameron, Director of the EU-Russia Centre in Brussels and Mr Tony Connelly, the well-known journalist and commentator on EU-Russia relations who works with the Irish RTE, this panel will try to assess the constraints on EU policy makers and the implications for business.
Lively discussion throughout the Executive Seminar will be facilitated by me, and I will commit to involve participants fully in maximum possible inter-action with the distinguished speakers. Recent Russian political and commercial decisions have demonstrated the driving force of the Kremlin in all aspects of Russia’s relations with the EU, and this Executive Seminar will provide a welcome opportunity to reflect on the business implications.

*The seminar will take place on April 17-18 at the Hotel Siken Berlaymont, close to the EU institutions. Registration and further details at www.coleurope.eu/executiveprogramme.