For two days politicians, public figures, diplomats and journalists from Russia and Germany discussed the problems relating to the processes of globalisation and to German-Russian relations.
The forum participants arrived at the unanimous conclusion that globalisation of the world economy is inevitable. In this connection well-known German politician Egon Bahr voiced the view that the West is interested in development of cooperation with Russia.
He was backed by member of the Board of Siemens concern Rudi Lamprecht. "Throughout its history Russia played an immense role in the world and continues playing it now," he stated. According to him, Siemens has been present in Russia since 1853 and intends to stay there for good.
For his part, director of the Moscow Institute of Globalisation Problems Mikhail Delyagin drew attention to the fact that Russia is often discriminated on the world markets. As he said, the process of globalisation implies growing competition but it is necessary that it proceed on an equal basis.
Chairman of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Arkady Volsky spoke of the same.
"Today Russia is the most discriminated country after China," he stated. "Every year we lose $2.5 billion from the limitation of access to the main sales markets."
Speaking of cooperation with Germany, Volsky said in the conversation with RIA Novosti that this country "is now the leader among the investor countries both in the volume of investments in Russia and in the number of joint ventures."
"Today such JVs number more than 1,300 which makes up one-tenth of the total number of organisations with the participation of foreign capital," he pointed out. The RSPP leader believes that, this notwithstanding, German-Russian cooperation still has great reserves.
According to him, "the volume of German investments is clearly insufficient - a mere 1% of the sum total of German investments outside Germany." "Only intensification of the business community's activity with non-formal, direct participation of civil society can give a fresh impetus to Russian-German relations," Arkady Volsky concluded.
