Events
The Clingendael Energy Roundtable "Russia in a Changing World" 12 December 2008
Relations between Europe and Russia have deteriorated steadily over the last three years. Since early 2006, a series of events have come to reflect a souring of relations between essentially two systems. These systems differ immensely in terms of their beliefs, expectations and ambitions. Most notably, however, a steadily growing European Union has so far failed to develop a common supranational stance with respect to Russia, while Russia appears to have a clear and unambiguous policy towards the European Union. The European Union’s expansion, and indeed its diversity, both appear to have come at the expense of a clear strategy for dealing with its Russian neighbour. On diametrically the opposite side of the spectrum, one might argue, there is a resurgent Russia that has finally recovered from the chaos of the 1990s.
It seems as though both sides are still hard at work to establish a post-Cold War rapport de force.
Nevertheless, both sides still need one another and have the potential to establish a long-lasting and stable partnership, in which energy would undoubtedly play a central role. On both government-to-government as well as business-to-business levels, actors on both the European and the Russian sides have much at stake.
Essentially, the Energy Roundtable consists of two components:
- two presentations about Russia by Dr. Fraser Cameron and the Secretary General of the EU – Russia Centre, Prof. Dr. Maria Ordzhonikidze (she is also visiting professor at the Peoples Friendship University of Russia) respectively; and
- a response by Prof. Dr. Coby van der Linde on the consequences for energy relations, followed by an open discussion.