Activities of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations

A special focus of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations is the promotion of activities of German SMEs in Russia. So far, three German-Russian SME conferences have already been organized. The fourth conference is planned for the end of May 2011 in Moscow.

At events held as part of the Hanover Trade Fair, at conferences on legal and customs issues or at the regular German-Russian SME conferences, German companies can obtain first-hand information on the framework conditions and prospects for SMEs in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

In addition, an important approach of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations’ work with Russia is the promotion of regional cooperation between Germany and the Russian regions within the framework of regional business days and delegation trips by German entrepreneurs and political decision-makers to the regions. High-ranking business delegations regularly accompany representatives of the German government on trips to Russia and hold talks with entrepreneurs based there.
In meetings with high-ranking government officials and representatives of the business community, the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations enables German companies to engage in economic policy dialogue in direct contact with decision-makers from politics and business. For example, recent meetings between members of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations and Russian President Medvedev (July 2010 in Yekaterinburg) and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (November 2010 in Berlin) took place.

The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations supports and shapes the economic policy dialogue between Germany and Russia within the framework of the German-Russian Strategic Working Group on Economic and Financial Cooperation (SAG). Within the framework of this working group, it has already been possible to advance projects in the fields of energy, the automotive industry and its suppliers, and the municipal sector, among others. In addition, the working group flanks economic policy issues such as Russia’s WTO accession or the negotiations on a new partnership and cooperation agreement between Russia and the EU.
German business has launched several initiatives that promote mutual exchange. The Petersburg Dialogue will also put economic contacts on a broader footing. The discussions of the Business Working Group, which is coordinated by the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations within the framework of the Petersburg Dialogue, focus on modernizing Russian industry and improving international competitiveness.

The future of German-Russian relations lies in the hands of the younger generation. The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations is therefore a co-partner of the German-Russian Youth Exchange Foundation within the framework of an innovative public-private partnership together with the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the State of Hamburg. In addition, the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, together with the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, established the German-Russian Dialogues Baden-Baden as an annual intensive seminar for young managers and entrepreneurs from Germany and Russia.