The German-Russian Year of Economy and Sustainable Development 2020‑2022 is part of a successful series of bilateral Years. Thus far, these bilateral Years have focused on language and literature, youth exchange, municipal and regional partnerships, as well as university collaboration and research.

This bilateral Year is an initiative of the German and Russian foreign ministries and aims to focus attention on civil society cooperation and exchange between the two countries.

Economic potential in the field of renewable energies

There are currently more than 4200 German businesses operating in Russia, while Germany is Russia’s second-largest trading partner. The energy sector is a major focus here, but other fields such as digitalisation and SME promotion are also important for bilateral economic relations. Furthermore, a series of joint projects are up and running in the environmental and climate sector involving, for example, the promotion of environmental technologies or circular waste management. Cooperation on tapping Russia’s vast potential in the field of renewable energies or hydrogen, a defining sector for the future, is also important here.

The first two events held as part of the Year took place just after the launch: the digital conferences “Building bridges in difficult times” and “The Russian digital economy in times of the pandemic”. The conferences focusing on economic cooperation with Russia, also in the digital sphere, are the backbone of the Year and build intersocietal exchange and dialogue on topics which are decisive for the shared future of economic relations. As the Year continues, players from business and civil society will in many other events highlight the opportunities offered by German-Russian cooperation and thus create additional momentum, also for new cooperation.

On the German side, the Year is being organised by the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations in its function as implementing organisation. To make the cooperation more visible and encourage people to participate in dialogue, the Committee has created an online portal to be found at www.deutsch-russisches-themenjahr.de. Businesses, business organisations, research and education establishments from Germany and Russia, as well as German-Russian initiatives, can participate in the Year via the Website.