Participants of the Valdai International Discussion Club dedicated the third day of this year's gathering to discussions of Russia's historic past and the search for the best format for Russia-EU relations.
The 7th Valdai Club Meeting, an expert forum for international specialists on Russia, is held from August 31 and September 7 onboard the Kronstadt cruise ship in northwestern Russia. The discussion brings together prominent experts on Russia from 15 European countries, the United States and Asia.
Most Russian participants said that nearly all European countries, with rare exceptions, bear responsibility for establishment of totalitarianism in Europe after World War II.
Sergei Karaganov, the head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, called on all European countries to "bury totalitarianism" on the continent, including in order to "prevent the monster from being reborn in Asia."
The discussion participants said that working out common approaches to the past is a necessary condition for genuine cooperation between Russia and the European Union.
RIA Novosti, in conjunction with the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, the journals Russia Profile and Russia in Global Affairs, and The Moscow News paper, has hosted the Valdai International Discussion Club meeting every year since 2004.
The annual Valdai Club aims to create an international expert forum where key international Russia specialists can receive reliable information about the growth and development of Russia and its society.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will join the talks on their final day, September 7.
LENINGRAD REGION, September 3 (RIA Novosti)
