The EU Russia Expert Network on Foreign Policy (EUREN) met for the 17th time on September 30th. Due to the continuing travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event took place online.

The 17th meeting of EUREN took the recent elections in Russia and Germany as an opportunity to discuss the nature of the link between foreign and domestic policy in EU-Russia relations. Markus Ederer, Head of the European Union Delegation to the Russian Federation, opened the meeting and took part in the plenary discussion “The link between domestic and foreign policy in EU-Russia relations” with Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council.

During the meeting, EUREN members exchanged their perceptions of the State Duma elections in Russia and discussed the implications of Germany’s new Bundestag for EU-Russia relations.

The EUREN was initiated by the Delegation of the European Union to the Russian Federation and the Russian International Affairs Council in 2017. It is a platform for dialogue between foreign policy experts and think tanks from EU member states and Russia. They exchange views on relevant issues and formulate policy recommendations to be presented to decision-makers of both the EU and Russia.