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Round table “Russia and Europe: a View from Kaliningrad” took place in Kaliningrad

Press Release
January 22, 2011

On January 21, a round table “Russia and Europe: a View from Kaliningrad” took place in Kaliningrad on the initiative of the Kaliningrad branch of YABLOKO.

“Relations between Russia and the European Union, first of all the problem of abolishing the visa regime, is not an abstract, but a vitally important problem for the residents of the Kaliningrad region,” said Vladimir Vukolov, deputy chair of the regional parliament of the Kaliningrad region and representative of the Elder Generation public organisation.

Galina Mikhalyova, Moderator of the round table and Executive Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee, stressed that “the present multiple agreements between the EU and the RF remain statements on intent only, and virtual progress has been minimal.”

The key report by Grigory Yavlinsky, member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee, was devoted to the prospects of Russia’s development in the context of its relations with Europe. “Russia has no alternative for the European way of development, if it intends to remain among the developed countries,” he said.

Alexander Tamm, head of the Moscow office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and Vladimir Shveitzer, head of the Political Studies Centre of the Institute of Europe, the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed their vision of the problem.

Parliament members of the Kaliningrad Region Duma stressed that the visa regime negatively affects the quality of life and economic efficiency of the Russian exclave.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin told about YABLOKO’s fight for abolishing visas between Russia and EU which would facilitate Russia’s return to the European way of development and his intention to raise this issue at the ELDR summit in Brussels.

The Round Table adopted a resolution stipulating for joining efforts in abolishing the visa regime and also proposed a number of programmes for socio-economic development of the region.

Also a 1.5 hour discussion between Grigory Yavlinsky and a large group of YABLOKO’s members and advocates and a press-conference of Yavlinsky, Mitrokhin and Vukolov took place on the same day.

On January 22 Sergei Mitrokhin met with officers and military pensioners in the Navy base in Baltyisk.

YABLOKO nominated its candidates to run in the elections to the regional parliament in March. The regional list is topped by deputies of the present regional parliament from the Elder Generation organisation.


Photographs by Boris Register, Kommersant


See also:

Russia-EU Relations

Regional Elections 2011

 

 

Press Release
January 22, 2011

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