Academic, political and business representatives from Russia, Sweden, Lithuania and Scotland are to discuss the future role Kaliningrad could play in bridging the gap between the EU and Russia.

The round table event on 23 October is being hosted by the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Russian, Central and East European Studies (CRCEES) in cooperation with the UK Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania.

David Smith, Co-Director, CRCEES said: “Kaliningrad formed the object of intense discussion during the first decade following the end of the USSR. Although it has attracted rather less attention recently, it remains a crucially important element of the overall EU-Russia relationship.

“The aim of this seminar is to examine how the situation of Kaliningrad has evolved following enlargement of the European Union to Lithuania and Poland. In particular, it will focus upon the future role that the Oblast might have to play in promoting closer engagement between an enlarged EU and Russia.”

The Russian enclave, which has a population of almost 1m, is strategically placed between the two new EU member states of Poland and Lithuania.

Lithuanian Ambassador to the UK, Vygaudas Usackas and two members of the Kaliningrad regional parliament will be among those speaking at the seminar organised by CRCEES. The keynote speakers will make brief preliminary remarks before a general discussion involving the other participants and an invited audience of academics, students and representatives of the business and policymaking communities.

The attendance fee is £25, which includes a buffet lunch. The event coincides with a series of films being shown as part of the ‘Lithuania: Place of Action’ event. Further details available from Ann Mulholland, CRCEES Administrator on A.Mulholland@lbss.gla.ac.uk

CRCEES is an inter-institutional Centre of Excellence bringing together partners from the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Paisley, St Andrews and Strathclyde, as well as international partners from the region.

The Centre offers postgraduate training in the form of language diplomas, taught and research masters degrees, and PhD scholarships.

The main areas of research interest within the Centre are: aspects of identity and culture and their social; political and economic implications; economic and social transformation; political transformation and international relations; literary, cinematic and cultural developments; and the politics of language.

Countries covered include: Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, amongst others.

Further information:

David Smith, Co-Director, CRCEES
Tel: 0141 330 8539

Ann Mulholland, CRCEES Administrator
Centre for Russian, Central and East European Studies
Tel: 0141 330 8539
Email: A.Mulholland@lbss.gla.ac.uk

First published: 17 October 2007

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