Whether Skripal-affair, cyber-attacks, and the crisis in Ukraine: Russia’s relations with the West are getting worse. The Petersburg dialogue was about how lost trust can be recovered.
Despite the mutual complaints about the crisis in Ukraine, the Gas Pipeline Nord Stream 2, and cyber-attacks, the German-Russian relationship quick seems to be alive, if not quite easy. Particularly optimistic the former Russian economic Minister and current President of the Foundation for International youth exchange, Andrei A. Netschaew. When he looked at the youth of the two countries, said the 65-Year-old in the working group “civil society,” he for the bilateral relations with confidence.
Less konziliant it was at the policy table. “The Ukraine we will not give you,” said there, Vitaly Trejakow, Dean for Television studies at the Lomonosov Moscow state University. And meant a further enlargement of the NATO. “That would threaten the national interests of Russia.” The Western defense Alliance was an Instrument of the USA to control Europe. It would be best if the Americans left the old continent, he taught the guests from Germany, only this would not happen, unfortunately.
The dispute around the Ukraine and NATO
Stoic, showing no reaction, heard this about Horst Teltschik, former Foreign and security Advisor to the Chancellor’s office. Otherwise, a green member of the German Bundestag Omid Nouripour: He disagreed with the dialogue presented Russian Interpretation of the “civil war” in Ukraine. “There’s a war on,” said Nouripour, and criticized the interference of Russia in the Affairs of a neighbouring state.
The former SPD Bundestag deputies and designated Ostexperte Gernot Erler spoke of an “annexation”; Mikhail Shvydkoi, Russian President’s special representative for international cultural cooperation, used the formulation: “The Crimea was United with Russia.”
Criticized Russia’s handling of the Skripal affair: Ronald Pofala (on the left)
The former Chancellery chief Ronald Pofalla did not agree with. He has held from the German side, from the presidency of the Petersburg dialogue. He criticized at the beginning of the two-day event, Russia’s affair was in the Skripal-hesitant and not clear. He criticized Russia’s handling with Non-governmental organizations and Western foundations.
A Russian participant criticized the illegal bombing of Kosovo. Other NATO-enlargement after the end of the Cold war. At the policy table of the Petersburg Dialogue, a fire has been fired plant of allegations and counter-allegations. At the end of Erler told Deutsche Welle: “Certainly, it is easier in the ecological, medical, or Church area to build trust in the policy.”
Information war and climate policy
“The Germans and the Russians live on two different planets,” said Sergey Tsypljonkow, Director of Greenpeace Russia, DW. He led the discussion of the working group “Ecological modernisation”. While the representatives of Germany, where it is mined less and less coal, from the structural change of languages, to expand Russia’s coal industry. “Here is a kind of euphoria, because Russia to export more coal to Asia”. Moscow also relies in the future on the extraction and Export of fossil fuels; Germany, however, on environmental and sustainable energy development.
Different views also in the media table of the Petersburg Dialogue. Vladislav Fronin, editor-in-chief of the official government newspaper “Rossiskaja Gazeta”, accused the West, to have an information war against Russia instigated; what could the representatives of the German media with only a shake of the head note. “The big difference is: The Russian journalism in the service of a government contract, the German journalism in the service of the recipient, the audience, and should control as a so-called fourth force was the policy,” said Johannes Grotzky, formerly radio Director of Bayerischer Rundfunk and long-time Russia correspondent for the ARD.
Against the speechlessness
It was a good thing when representatives of the business community come together with the representatives of the civil societies, said Matthias Schepp, the Board Chairman of the Russian-German foreign trade chamber in Moscow. “‘t have otherwise so many points of contact.” Sure would be completed elsewhere, more and more businesses as the economy table of the Petersburg Dialogue. However, valuable even, if the two sides could exchange ideas on higher-level issues such as Visa freedom for Russian citizens to travel to Germany, or barriers to Investment in Russia, including German companies suffered.
“Sure, there is much to criticize in the Petersburg dialogue,” says Martin Hoffmann, managing Director of the Petersburger Dialog e. V.: Many said so – you should leave it be. “But from my point of view, that would be no Alternative.”
The Petersburg dialogue, the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, founded in 2001, the civil societies of the two countries together. This year, the Petersburg dialogue is not met, as it suggests the name – on the Neva river, but in Moscow.
Without the Petersburg dialogue, says Hoffmann, would the lack of a voice and, currently, between Russia and Germany, Mr, with a further Institution to be expanded, says Hoffmann. Currently, it is important to build bridges, so that the bilateral relations are gaining momentum again.