RIAC and PISM Hold Seminar “Proposals for the Development of Russian–Polish Partnership”

On February 16, 2015, the Russian International Affairs Council held a joint seminar with the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) entitled “Proposals for the Development of Russian–Polish Partnership”, where participants discussed potential areas of cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic and humanitarian fields. The meeting was opened by RIAC Director General Andrei Kortunov and Director of PISM Marcin Zaborowski.

On February 16, 2015, the Russian International Affairs Council held a joint seminar with the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) entitled “Proposals for the Development of Russian–Polish Partnership”, where participants discussed potential areas of cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic and humanitarian fields.

The meeting was opened by RIAC Director General Andrei Kortunov and Director of PISM Marcin Zaborowski.

The seminar’s first session was devoted to political and security cooperation between Russia and Poland. Presentations were made by Artyom Malgin, RIAC member and Vice-Rector for General Matters of MGIMO University, and Marcin Terlikowski, leader of the PISM European Security and Defence Economics Project. The seminar discussed Russian and Polish approaches to the problems of the European security architecture, the prospects for working together as neighbours, and the possibilities of cooperation in resolving global issues. 

The second session, which focused on the setting up of a bilateral economic partnership between Russia and Poland, was opened by Anatoly Leirikh, Chairman of the Business Council on Cooperation with Poland, and Stanislav Secrieru, Senior Research Fellow at PISM. In his speech, Mr. Leirikh spoke about the problems faced by Russian business in Poland, while Mr. Secrieru delivered a report on the impact of the sanctions on the dynamics of Russian–Polish trade and economic relations and also touched upon the issue of bilateral ties in the energy sector.

As part of the closing session, participants discussed the problems of developing Russian–Polish relations in the humanitarian field. Ivan Timofeev, RIAC Programme Director, and Piotr Kościński, PISM Eastern and South Eastern Europe Programme Coordinator, shared their views on the potential for bilateral cooperation in science, education and culture.

The seminar was also attended by RIAC member and Editor-in-Chief of International Affairs Armen Oganesyan, RIAC member and Director of the IMEMO Department of Disarmament and Conflict Resolution Andrey Zagorsky, Senior Research Fellow at the IMEMO Department of Research of the European Union Vladimir Olenchenko, Senior Researcher at the Sociological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Inessa Yazhborovskaya, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Embassy of Poland in Moscow and the Delegation of the European Union to Russia.

Seminar “Proposals for the Development of Russian–Polish Partnership”