AP TELEVISION

Berlin, Germany - 8 November 2014

1. Various of choir rehearsal on stage Brandenburg gate

2. Staff talking on stage

3. Zoom out of light balloon installation

4. Man preparing light balloon

5. Balloon installation, crowd watching

6. Various of staff setting up stage

7. Various of newsgathering satellite vans

8. Former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas (standing up with walking stick) and former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev (seated) attending symposium

9. Cameraman

10. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Russian President:

"Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between major powers is of enormous concern right now."

11. Cutaway of people attending symposium

12. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Russian President:

"The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some people are even saying that it's already begun."

13. Dumas and Gorbachev at symposium

14. SOUNDBITE (French) Roland Dumas, Former French Foreign Minister:

"I tell you, my friends, without peace, without respect between nations, and without a strong and brave disarmament policy, everything could start over again tomorrow. Even everything we used to know, and what we named 'Cold War'."

15. Various of balloon installation close to German parliament

16. Various of people at memorial for victims of Berlin Wall

17. Various of balloon installation at river Spree marking former wall path along German parliament and river Spree

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas warned of the threat of a new Cold War during speeches at an event on Saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between major powers is of enormous concern right now," Gorbachev said.

He also called for renewed trust to be built through dialogue with Moscow, and suggested the West should lift sanctions imposed against senior Russian officials over its actions in eastern Ukraine.

Dumas stressed the importance of peace, respect and "a strong and brave disarmament policy", without which, he said, "everything could start over again tomorrow."

Meanwhile, preparations for the anniversary celebration were in full swing.

Choir rehearsals were taking place and workers were setting up cables for a live transmission of the event near the city's Brandenburg Gate.

A 15 kilometre (9.5 mile) chain of light balloons was set along the former wall path near the German parliament and river Spree.

The balloons will be released into the air early Sunday evening, around the same time that, on 9 November 1989, an announcement by a senior government official set off the chain of events that brought down the Berlin Wall.