The year 2004 is likely to become a watershed year in terms of the increased development of what is referred to as Wider Europe – a community of countries united by their close geographical proximity, shared history and cultural values. To understand what our common future will be like, it is necessary to answer one critical question: Where is Russia heading? Many in the West are questioning whether there has been a change in the direction of the development of Russia, and what consequences this change would have for its relations with the outside world.
Russia and the EU are facing many problems, both global and regional, which they can solve only by pooling together their efforts. However, the political dialog between Moscow and Brussels has been remarkably empty, considering that the solution to these vexing problems is vital to both parties.
The year 2004 is likely to become a watershed year in terms of the increased development of what is referred to as Wider Europe – a community of countries united by their close geographical proximity, shared history and cultural values. To understand what our common future will be like, it is necessary to answer one critical question: Where is Russia heading? Many in the West are questioning whether there has been a change in the direction of the development of Russia, and what consequences this change would have for its relations with the outside world.
Russia and the EU are facing many problems, both global and regional, which they can solve only by pooling together their efforts. However, the political dialog between Moscow and Brussels has been remarkably empty, considering that the solution to these vexing problems is vital to both parties.
When the Baltic countries entered NATO and the European Union a couple of years ago, many thought it was the end of the centuries-old "red line." Euro-Atlantic organizations had crossed into the former Russian and Soviet empires.
In September 2004, the Russian city of Novgorod hosted an international conference entitled Russia at the Turn of the Century: Hopes and Reality. Its organizers were the RIA Novosti news agency, the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Russia in Global Affairs, and The Moscow Times.