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| Updated: 05-Feb-2003 | January 2003 |
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Conference on Russia
The relationship between Russia and the new members of the Euro-Atlantic
community from Central and Eastern Europe was the focus of a NATO-sponsored
conference held in Budapest from 30 January to 1 February.
The conference, entitled: "Bridging the new East-West divide: Russia and the expanding Euro-Atlantic community", looked into a new phenomena: the separation between countries that belong to Euro-Atlantic institutions and those that do not. With the upcoming enlargement of both NATO and the EU, participants emphasised the need for a new dialogue between Russia and countries of Central and Eastern Europe. They also identified common challenges that remain in the post-Communist transition process, such as corruption and economic liberalisation, elections, security sector reform and state-building. The conference also addressed the issue of independent media, the politics of business and pipelines and the role of external actors in promoting change.
Participants included high-level representatives from governments, think tanks, NGOs and the media from across Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Western Europe and the United States. The conference was organised by the NGO, Freedom House Budapest, and its "Regional Networking Project for Central and Eastern Europe" and the "Nations in Transit" research programme. Additional information:
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