On December 8, 2009 the State Historical Museum hosted an International Seminar "Russia – EU: Signs on the Road Map of Cultural Cooperation" organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation in cooperation with European Commission (EC) and Representative Office of the European Commission in Moscow. Institute of the Information Society acted as an operator for the seminar.

This event was conducted in accordance with the joint statement of the Permanent Partnership Council Russia – EU on culture adopted in Marfa (Portugal) on 25 October, 2007. This initiative was reconfirmed by the 3rd Meeting of the Russia  – EU  Joint Working Group, which took place in Moscow on 10 June 2008.

This seminar brought together over 150 participants from 21 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, France, Finland, Czech Republic,  Sweden, Estonia). Among Russian participants there were representatives of 20 regions: Moscow and S.-Petersburg, Republic of Karelia, Republic of Tatarstan, Perm region, and also Arkhangelsk, Kaliningrad, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Pskov, Ryazan, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Tver, Tula, Ulyanovsk and Yaroslavl regions. There were representatives of federal and regional authorities in the field of culture, representative of EC and other international organizations, experts from EU member states, cultural attachés of EU countries, representatives of cultural institutions, private foundations, agencies and other Russian and EU organizations, including Russian and European non-governmental and non-commercial organizations whose role is crucial in establishing sustainable long-term patterns of relations.

The main goals of the seminar were as follows – to discuss a new format of cooperation between Russia and the EU; to define potential focal areas for the improvement of policy and the regulatory environment facilitating cultural cooperation and implementation of joint projects; to discuss the proposals for establishment of concrete practical cooperation in the field of culture.

The opening speech was made by Andrey Busygin, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation; Yan Trushchinski, Deputy Director of the General Department of the European Commission on Culture and Education; Fernando Valenzuela, Head of the Representative Office of the European Union in Russia; and Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on International Cultural Cooperation.

Plenary Session devoted to New Strategic Partnership of the Russian Federation and the European Union in the sphere of Culture was opened by Kirill Razlogov, Director of the Russian Institute for Cultural Research. In his report on the current status and perspectives of cultural cooperation between Russia and EU he emphasized the importance of mutual adaptation of main priorities.

Finn Andersen, President of the Network of National Cultural Institutions of EU countries (EUNIC) reported on creation of stable networks and partnership between Russian and EU based on EUNIC example.

Daniil Dondurey, Editor-in-Chief of "Art of Cinema" magazine, propounded new format of cooperation between Russian and EU in the light of being prepared Agreement on Strategic Cooperation and taking into consideration previous experience.

The speech of Michael Webb, Deputy Head of Representative Office of the European Union in Russia, was devoted to creation of a united approach to development of long-term cooperation between Russia and EU in the sphere of culture.

Within the framework of the plenary session the presentation of the best Russian-European projects on culture took place: international festival "KenArt – European Cultural Bridge", project "Seeds of Imagination" aiming at development of cultural relations between Russian and EU through theatrical and performing arts, and project "Create Culture Together!" which provides for interaction between Marche region (Italy) and Lipetsk region aimed at development of institutional structures through cultural initiatives.

During meetings of parallel thematic sessions continuing the work of the Forum examples of cooperation between Russia and European Union, financing joint projects and development of multilateral cooperation, perspectives of intensification of mobility of artists and arts were discussed  Tatiana Ershova, Director General of the Institute of the Information Society, together with Pascal Brunet, Director of Relais Culture Europe (France), acted as moderator of the "Mobility of Artists and Arts: Instruments of Real and Virtual Cooperation" workshop. Yuri Hohlov, Chairman of the IIS Board of Directors, also participated in this workshop.

At the closing plenary session the outcomes of work of all thematic sections were presented, which will be then used to develop recommendations on promotion of cultural cooperation between Russia and the EU.

In the beginning of 2010 materials of the Seminar in the form of articles will be published in Russian and English languages (printed edition) and on the web-page of the Seminar: http://cultureworkshop2009.iis.ru/, which contains all current information about the event.