30.06.2004 -
AEGEE discusses the EU-Russia relations after the latest EU
enlargement
Press Release - AEGEE discusses
the EU-Russia relations
From the 2nd until 11th of July 2004, in the
cities of Moscov and St. Peterbourg, AEGEE will organise its first large-scale
international conference devoted to Russia-European Union relations in the field
of culture and politics after the latest EU enlargement. The Conference will
bring together Russian and European students, scientists, diplomats and experts
in the field of international relations in order to analyse and to discuss
cultural and political relationships between EU and Russia.
For over one week, 30 students from all
over Europe will be given the chance to tackle numerous subjects concerning
Russian Identity vs. European Identity, the future of Russian-EU relations,
opportunities and problems of Eastern Enlargement of EU, the European Union
neighbourhood policy in relation to Russia. During the workshops the
participants will try to come up with several proposals - for action to improve
the public attitude in Russia towards European Integration and for promotion of
co-operation between the EU and Russia.
Discussions will be led and
facilitated by a great number of prominent speakers like Clelia
Rontoyanni from Political Section at the Delegation of the European
Commission to Russia, Valery Minaev - Rector of the Russian State
University for the Humanities, Vincent Piket from the Delegation of the
European Commission in Russia, Andreas von Mettenheim - Plenipotentiary
Minister of Germany, professors from the Russian Academy of Science,
Saint-Petersburg and Moscow State Universities, Gdansk University of Business
and Management in Poland, as well as Dutch, Spanish and German Embassy officials
to the Russian Federation and the British Embassy representatives. The event is
planned to be also attended by Russian journalists.
“We have very high
expectations towards this conference” - says Olivier Genkin, manager of
the EU and Europe project of International Politics Working Group of
AEGEE-Europe. – “First of all, in terms of articulation of the participants'
understanding of the European Identity(-ies) and developing deeper knowledge and
understanding of attitudes in the EU towards the target regions and vice-versa.
We will discuss the differences in those regions, but also the similarities and
opportunities towards the EU, European integration in general and international
co-operation”. The important expected result, however, is also strengthening the
AEGEE network, as well as increasing its visibility in Russia, and creating
links between AEGEE and other institutions and organisations.
A great
deal of aims stands behind the EU and Europe project. The project is composed of
a series of conferences in different European countries, and aims at analysis of
the relations between enlarged EU and its new neighbours, after the most
significant and biggest enlargement ever. The Opening Conference Europe's
(Torn?) Identity (Ljubljana, Slovenia), The Future of
Europe (Athina, Greece), Mediating Europe, BY, Between and Beyond
- Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine & EU (Minsk, Belarus) have
already taken place. The ones still to come this year are Russia & EU
(Moskva and Sankt Petersburg, Russia), Bulgaria, Romania &
EU(Cluj-Napoca, Romania), Turkey & EU ( Izmir, Turkey),
Western Balkans & EU (Banja Luka and Sarajevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina) and EFTA & EU (Oslo, Norway).
AEGEE is one of Europe's largest
interdisciplinary and voluntary student associations, operating without being
linked to any political party, promoting a unified Europe, cross-border
co-operation, communication and integration in academic environment, and at the
same time striving to create an open and tolerant society by involving students
and young graduates in valuable projects and discussions over the topics of
importance for the communities they live in. It is represented in 260 university
cities, in 42 countries all around Europe and has about 17000
members.
More information:
Ewa Solarczyk
Vice-President
/ Director for Public Relations, AEGEE-Europe
Email: [log in to unmask]
European Students'
Forum - AEGEE
Rue Nestor de Tiere 15
1030 Bruxelles
Phone: +32 2 245 23
00
Fax: +32 2 245 62 60
Web: www.aegee.org