RUSSIAN-GERMAN SOCIAL FORUM MEETS IN BERLIN








BERLIN, MARCH 5, 2001 (FROM RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT ALEXANDER GULYAKOVSKY) -- The first session of the organising committee of the social Russian-German forum was held in Berlin on Sunday. This social organisation has been created on the initiative of Russian president Vladimir Putin and German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.


	Chairman of the Duma Unity faction and Russian head of the forum Boris Gryzlov, who arrived in Berlin to attend the organising session ,said that "the creation of such a forum is aimed at involving the public of the two countries in the political, economic and cultural life, science and education, and in the discussion of the questions pertaining to the mass media of Russia and Germany." He stressed that such contacts "will make it possible to become acquainted with each other most thoroughly, to understand problems facing the both countries and prompt solutions for the executive authority as to how improve the Russian-German relations." The Russian-German forum was named "Petersburg Dialogue" because its first session in which Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder will take part will be conducted during the April meeting between the heads of Russia and Germany in St. Petersburg.


	The next regular session of the "Petersburg Dialogue is to be held in April 2002 in the German town of Weimar.