Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl Urges Dialogue with US

'I doubt whether a uni-polar world can exist,' said former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl at the international conference entitled 'Russia and the new world order' which is taking place at the Baltchug Kempinsky hotel in Moscow. He said that there is the factor of Russia which possesses entirely different potential than it had ten years ago; there is China - a country with a huge calibre, and the EU which is impossible not to consider. Kohl said that in the euro zone there will soon be over 500 million people. Kohl said New York has a German speaking population larger than any European country besides Germany. He also said that now we need to talk to the Americans and 'not be afraid to speak openly.'

Russian oreign Minister Igor Ivanov, former Finnish President Marti Akhtisaari and a number of international specialists are taking part in the conference. Moreover, prominent Russian politicians, scientists, businesspeople and journalists are also participating.

At the same time an enlarged session of the editorial, tutorial and scientific consulting council of the Russia in Global Politics journal is also taking place at the Baltchug Kempinsky hotel in Moscow. Besides discussions, at the conference there will be reports on the theme 'G8 - rebirth of leadership' which were prepared by groups of leading world specialists for the G8 summit in Evian on June 3, 2003.