Background Talk with Mikhail V. Margelov

Berlin, November 6, 2007

Addressing Bundestag deputies, government representatives and experts, Mikhail Margelov, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, commented on the foreign and economic policies of the Russian Federation towards the EU, the USA and the Middle East.

The Senator of the Pskov region put forward his views on the development in Kosovo as well as in further "frozen conflict" areas, the conflict surrounding the Iranian nuclear programme and the accession process of Russia to the WTO. Furthermore, issues of energy safety and non-proliferation were touched upon in the subsequent discussion.

This Background Talk with Mikhail Margelov continues the tradition of dialogue with Russia of the Körber Foundation. This series, includes, for instance, the 134th Bergedorf Round Table in Odessa in 2006 and the 131st Bergedorf Round Table in Potsdam/Berlin in 2005 as well as political breakfasts with Dr. Konstantin Kosachev , Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Chizhov , Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the EU, Viktor Ivanov , the domestic policy advisor to President Vladimir Putin and Sergei Yastrzhembsky , the Russian special envoy for EU Affairs.

The Körber Foundation regularly invites a small circle of senior Berlin foreign policy players to its Background Discussions . As in the Bergedorf Round Table, the discussions take place confidentially and away from public attention.