The European Union: Memories or Prospects? Senator Vladimir Chizhov Visited PetrSU.

Vladimir Chizhov, Senator from the Republic of Karelia, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, visited PetrSU on the invitation of the Arctic Center. 

The organizers prepared an eventful program for the senator, during which he got acquainted with the scientific achievements and potential of PetrSU as an Arctic university of the Republic of Karelia. 

The program of the visit began with Chizhov’s lecture for students, teachers and staff of PetrSU on memories or prospects of the EU. The event was moderated by the Scientific Director of the Institute of Northern European Studies of PetrSU, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Valerii Shlyamin. 

The problem-oriented lecture generated great interest, and among the online participants of the meeting were undergraduates and researchers from the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), North-Eastern Federal University (Yakutsk), MGIMO (Moscow) and St. Petersburg State University (St. Petersburg). 

In his speech, Vladimir Chizhov drew attention to a number of quantitative and qualitative indicators of interaction between Russia and European structures until 2014, as he took part in 30 of the 32 summits of Russia and the European Union. The senator critically described the criteria for membership of countries both in the European Union and NATO, which today need to be revised. He emphasized that the idea of interaction between all unions and alliances originally belonged to the European Union, and its current policy of sanction containment of Russia is destroying the fundamental principles on which and for which the EU was established. 

The Arctic vector of the EU and the changing role of Russia in the Arctic was on agenda as well: 

At the same time, Western countries have a growing desire to break the Arctic ice,

 - Vladimir Chizhov commented during the lecture, characterizing the interests of Europe in the Arctic zone and pointing out the lack of direct access of the EU to the Arctic Ocean. 

The program of the senator's visit included an acquaintance with the Aquaculture Research Center, Artificial Intelligence Center and the Humanitarian Innovation Park of PetrSU. Chizhov highly appreciated current activities of the university's researchers and outlined directions for further cooperation in the region. 

At the end of his, Vladimir Chizhov gave an interview to the Arctic Center on the challenges and prospects for the development of international cooperation in the north and in the Arctic.