Monday 26 June 2006, 6.00-8.00pm

Date: Monday 26 June 2006, 6.00-8.00pm

Venue: Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Bridge Street, Westminster, London, SW1A 2LW

The Foreign Policy Centre is pleased to announce the launch of 'Russia and the G8; a Summit Scorecard', which updates 'Russia in the Spotlight: G8 Scorecard', published in January.

The original Scorecard raised a political storm in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin responded to its publication by claiming: "These people are still living in the past century – they are all unreconstructed Sovietologists." Yet many questions remain unanswered six months into Russia's controversial G8 presidency.

Russia was originally included in the G8 to help lock in its democratic reforms, but the Scorecard showed that Russia is no longer even semi-democratic. In the run-up to the St Petersburg summit in July, the Foreign Policy Centre has re-appraised Russia's performance, according to the same criteria used in the original Scorecard. The data has now been updated in the light of events - political, economic, and social - over the last six months.

A panel of senior politicians and experts, including Sir Malcolm Rifkind, will discuss the latest findings at what promises to be a fascinating event.

Among those speaking will be:

Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP, former Foreign Secretary

Jonathan Steele, The Guardian

Michael Moore MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary

David Clark, The Russia Foundation

Hugh Barnes, Foreign Policy Centre (Chair)

Please register by email to Paulo Santana - russia[at]fpc.org.uk