Political Breakfast with Konstantin I. Kosachev

Berlin, October 18, 2007

In addressing representatives of the Bundestag, the Chancellery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of various think tanks, Konstantin Kosachev, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation State Duma, covered issues of politic development in Russia, the relationship between Russia and the EU and German-Russian relations.

Additionally, the parliamentary member of the United Russia Party focused during the discussion on NATO's eastward expansion, Russia's stance on the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty and on the US plans for an anti-missile system in eastern Europe, along with the Kosovo status talks and the conflict surrounding the Iranian nuclear programme. He appealed for the Russian standpoints on these to be taken seriously and for a constructive dialogue between Russia and the West to take place in order to find a common solution to upcoming problems.

The political breakfast with Konstantin Kosachev continues the Körber Foundation tradition of dialogue with Russia. This dialogue has included, for example, the 134th Bergedorf Round Table, , held in 2006 in Odessa and the 131st Bergedorf Round Table, , held in 2005 in Potsdam and Berlin, along with political breakfasts with Vladimir Chizhov , Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the EU, Viktor Ivanov , Domestic Affairs Adviser to President Putin, and Sergeij Jastrezhembskij , the Russian Special Envoy for EU Affairs.

The Körber Foundation regularly invites a small group of high-ranking figures from Berlin who are active in the field of foreign policy. As with the Bergedorf Round Table, the discussion is confidential and is not open to the public