A World Without Walls:
An International Congress on "Soft Power", Cultural Diplomacy and Interdependence

(November 6th - 10th 2009, Berlin)

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is pleased to present...

The US-Russian Relationship: Europe’s Role Then and Now

(Panel discussion)

Berlin, Saturday 7th November (18:00)
The ICD House of Arts & Culture

The fall of the Berlin Wall represented not only the end of the division within Germany’s capital city, but was also part of a process that lead to the fall of the so-called “iron curtain” across Europe as a whole. As we celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) will therefore host a panel discussion that will consider the importance of this event to the emergence of Europe as a united, global player, and asses how the region’s role in the US-Russian relationship has developed since 1989.

“The US-Russian Relationship: Europe’s Role Then and Now” will take place as part of a program being organised by the ICD entitled “A World Without Walls: An International Congress on Soft Power, Cultural Diplomacy and Interdependence” (Berlin, 6th – 9th November).

The panellists for the discussion will include:
  • Ivaylo Kalfin (Member of the European Parliament, Former Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs),
  • Dr. Vasile Puşcaş (Romanian Minister for European Affairs),
  • Gerassimos D. Arsenis (Greek Former Minister of Defense),
  • Jack McConnell (Member of the Scottish Parliament, Former First Minister of Scotland),  
  • Radmila Sekerinska (Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia),
  • Dr. Benjamin Barber (Professor, University of Maryland, author of “Jihad Vs. McWorld”),
  • Martin Hope (Director Benelux and EU office at British Council, Former Director British Council Moscow at British Council)
The speakers will share their perspectives on the significance of 1989, the establishment and integration of the European Union (EU), and the position of the EU with regards to both the United States and Russia as it has developed over the past two decades.

Following the panel discussion there will be an opportunity for the panellists to field questions from the audience, which will include the participants of the ICD’s “World Without Walls” program together with a select group of ICD Young Leaders.