BAKU, 27 October (BelTA) – Former President of the European Commission, former Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi called on the West and Russia to rebuild the dialogue as he spoke via video link at the Eurasian Economic Forum in Baku, BelTA has learned.
“We are going through a very difficult period, we have become hostages of the situation. First it was the COVID-19 pandemic and then problems against the background of Russia's special operation in Ukraine. We should strive to overcome this situation as soon as possible, because everyone is suffering,” said Romano Prodi.
“I think that peace should be our main goal. And we need to achieve it,” he stressed.
“We are completely isolated from each other. We need to fundamentally rethink what has happened recently. We need to rebuild the foundations and possibilities of our dialogue, taking into account our differences and respecting the law. Of course, each system has its own peculiarities, but I do not think that someone is determined to prove to the other side that they are right. We should unite despite all our differences, and we should keep it in mind all the time,” the European politician said.
The Eurasian Economic Forum, which was held in Italy's Verona for 14 years, has been relocated to Baku this year. The 15th edition of the forum is held in the capital of Azerbaijan on 27-28 October. This event brings together politicians, experts, diplomats, company heads and journalists from the West and the East. The forum was held in Italy even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, today's geopolitical realities forced the organizers to change the traditional venue of the forum.
The forum participants are set to discuss a wide range of practical issues in the field of economy and finance, healthcare, environment, energy and technological innovations in Greater Eurasia. This year the forum will be themed “Eurasia on its path to a new geopolitical, social, and economic order: transition to a new, human-centered economy”. On the first day of the forum, the participants will discuss global energy challenges, European energy security, the role of business in global geopolitics and the creation of a cooperation economy from the Atlantic to the Pacific. On the final day of the forum, discussions will focus on the work of the financial sector in the face of new geopolitical challenges, the development of transport and infrastructure as a condition for modernizing the digital economy and the development of territories, as well as the industrial revolution and the formation of the economy of the future in Greater Eurasia.
The event is organized by the non-profit organization Conoscere Eurasia Association (Italy), the Roscongress Foundation, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum with the support of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan.
