Mr Medvedev spoke to members of public, academic and business circles at the Washington section of the Council and answered their questions.
The Council on Foreign Relations is an influential research and educational non-governmental organisation founded in the USA in 1921. It is based in New York. Since 1980 the Council on Foreign Relations has an additional office in Washington.
The Council on Foreign Relations is composed of more than four thousand U.S. nationals and over 200 representatives of international companies. Virtually all former and current presidents, secretaries of state, defence and finance ministers of the United States, as well as prominent academics, business representatives and representatives of non-governmental organisations are members of the Council.
Representatives of the Council meet with senior U.S. officials, foreign leaders, renowned scholars and analysts to discuss important topical international issues. The Council also publishes the journal Foreign Affairs which highlights international issues and U.S. foreign policy, is involved in the preparation of a new generation of foreign leaders by promoting participation in various special programmes, and sponsors independent organisations studying foreign policy.
Every year the Council organises more than 250 events in New York, Washington and other U.S. cities (interviews, discussions, conferences, book discussions, film viewings) devoted to the study of highly topical issues, including terrorism, the danger of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, epidemics and the like.