EU and Russian Leaders Meet to Discuss Impact of Russia’s Presidential Elections on Europe

ROME, July 5, 2011 -

Frattini,
Kouchner, Paroubek to Debate Future of Europe

International politicians and business leaders will meet in Rome
this week to discuss the consequences for Europe of next year’s
Russian presidential elections.

The agenda at the half day conference, hosted by the Italian
Senate, will focus on several key areas on EU-Russia-US
international relations, including:

1. Energy security and oil and gas supplies from East to West
2. The role of NATO
3. The international economic recovery
4. The expectations of Russia’s people from the election
   campaign

Business leaders will also be carefully watching the outcome for
signs about Russia’s willingness to open up to greater commercial
engagement with Western companies.

The candidates for the election have not yet been declared
though the former president Vladimir Putin is expected to be the
front runner should he decide to run.

The conference will take place on Wednesday in Rome and
participating politicians include: Italian foreign minister Franco
Frattini, the former foreign minister of France, Bernard Kouchner,
and Alexander Babakov, deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma.

The Russian ambassador to Italy, Alexey Meshkov, will make a
keynote address ahead of other international speakers including:
Jiry Paroubek, the prime minister of the Czech Republic in 2005/6,
Michael Ancram, a member of the House of Lords in the UK, plus
Petar Dimitrov, former energy minister of Bulgaria.

From Italy, speakers include the president of the Italian
Senate, Renato Schifani, Emma Marcegaglia, president of
Confindustria, and Rossana Boldi, chair of the Political Commission
of the European Union.

Other Italian speakers include Raffaele Bonanni, general
secretary of the CISL trade union, Michaela Biancofore MP and
secretary of the Foreign Affairs Commission in the Italiaj chamber
of deputies, and Professor Vittorio Sgarbi speaking on the role of
art and culture in bringing countires closer together.

As well as the Senate, the conference, ‘Relations between Russia
and the EU after 2012′ is being hosted by the Universita Europea
del Mediterraneo (UNIMED).

Notes to editors

The conference will take place on Wednesday July 6 at Senato
della Repubblica - Sala Zuccari, presso Palazzo Giustiniani, Via
della Dogana Vecchia, 29 Roma.

Journalists are welcome to attend the event and need to register
with Adam Powell or Alisa Charkova (details below).

A copy of the programme is attached plus biographies of the
speakers.

Adam Powell: apowell at bell-pottinger.co.uk or telephone +44-7753-832-916, Alisa Charkova: acharkova at bell-pottinger.co.uk +44-7824-546-851