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German-Russian Relations

DW staff (tkw)December 18, 2007

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was in Moscow on Tuesday, Dec. 18, for a round of talks with President Vladimir Putin's likely successor, Dmitry Medvedev. He also met privately with Putin himself.

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German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Dmitry Medvedev
German Foreign Minister Steinmeier (l) and Dmitry Medvedev have long been acquaintedImage: picture-alliance / dpa

German sources described the talks between German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Russian presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev, which went on for longer than expected, as "very friendly." They said the two ministers had "gotten along well" and had agreed on a closer exchange of information in the future.

Steinmeier was the first foreign politician to meet with Medvedev since his nomination.

Relations between Moscow and Berlin have been strained recently and were further challenged earlier this month when allegations of poll-rigging prompted Germany to publicly criticize the lack of foreign observers permitted to monitor parliamentary elections.

After Tuesday's meeting, Steinmeier, who is in Moscow to sound out the new power balance in the Russian leadership, said Putin's support for his deputy's presidential candidature sent an important signal to the Western world. He said Medvedev stood for economic regeneration and greater orientation towards Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Steinmeier
Putin (r) and Steinmeier were to discuss Germany's view of Medvedev's nominationImage: picture-alliance / dpa

On Monday, Medvedev, who is also chairman of the state-controlled gas giant, Gazprom, was officially nominated as the ruling United Russia party's presidential candidate. Putin has already said that when, not if, Medvedev wins the election, he would be willing to take over as prime minister.

"We should assume that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not

lose power by changing his position," Steinmeier said in Moscow after his meeting with Medvedev.

German-Russian co-operation

Following his meeting with the deputy prime minister, Steinmeier traveled on to the Kremlin for private talks with President Putin. They were expected, among other things, to discuss Germany's position on the controversial parliamentary elections, but no details were given.

Before the talks, however, Putin praised the inauguration of a new Russian-German gas extracting plant in the Yuzhno Russkoye gas field. Medvedev and Steinmeier had earlier pressed a button to start production, and Medvedev told a press conference that the project strenghtend Europe's energy security and showed Russian openness to foreign partnerships.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin
Medvedev (l) was Putin's campaign manager in 2000Image: AP

"Russia is open for these kinds of large and serious business projects, for brave initiatives and for mutually profitable partnerships," Medvedev said. "The exchange of assets between Gazprom and BASF will raise the competitiveness of both companies and will strengthen their position on world markets."

German chemical giant BASF holds an over 20-percent stake in the project.

President Putin also told Steinmeier that he was pleased see Germany initiate a project in Russia.

During tense relations at the beginning of December, Putin pointed to "hysterical fears in Germany about investing [in Russia]."

Germany, for its part, had criticized Russian parliamentary elections earlier this month as "undemocratic."

According to German news agency DPA, before his talks with the Russian leaders on Tuesday, Steinmeier met with a group of human rights activists and other social representatives and encouraged them not to ease up in their efforts.