Bumpy relations remain despite Putin's visit to Germany
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E-mail Xinhua, June 3, 2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached much consensus on Friday over economic cooperation and a political solution for Syria during Putin's first European trip in his third presidency.
The agreements, however, could hardly prove that the bilateral relations have entered the fast track to full cooperation. The relations, according to some analysts, suffered more trouble than appeared.
ECONOMIC TIES STRENGTHENED
At the press conference following his meeting with Merkel, Putin called the discussion "constructive, open, and friendly", and confirmed to reporters that the second leg of Nord Stream pipeline would start commercial supply to Europe in the last quarter this year.
The pipeline, built jointly by firms from Russia, Germany and the Netherlands, will pump gas from Siberia to Europe under the Baltic Sea, bypassing transit countries including Germany.
Merkel, for her part, said Russia is a "reliable" energy supplier, adding that Germany would like to help the country modernize its industry.
She said the increase of bilateral trade volume shows the vigor of German-Russian relationship as in 2011, Russian export to Germany rose 27 percent to 25 billion euros, while import climbed 34 percent to 27 billion euros.
POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR SYRIA AGREED
Both leaders said they favored a political solution for Syria and agreed to work with other countries to prevent the crisis in the country from worsening.
Speaking at the joint press conference, Putin reiterated that Russia does not support any party in the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Russia wants to help UN-Arab League joint envoy Kofi Annan achieve "positive results" in Syria, and "believe a political solution could be found," Putin added.
Merkel said Annan's plan could be a starting point for a political solution to the Syria crisis, while adding that "We must work with all energy to implement this plan and develop additional political activities if necessary."
Moscow has been under pressure from western countries to harden its position on the conflict in Syria. Several European countries expelled Syrian diplomats from their countries after the recent killings of civilians in the central Syrian town of Houla.
The Syrian government categorically denied involvement in the massacre and blamed armed groups of carrying out the killings to tarnish the Syrian administration and call in foreign military intervention.
BUMPY RELATIONS
Despite the booming trade and common views over Syria, some analysts argued that the relationship has fared less well than it seemed.
"Russia and its stance towards the Assad regime plays a key role in the Syrian crisis," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was quoted as saying by German newspaper Die Welt on Friday.
Besides, during her discussion with Putin on Friday, Merkel also pressed Putin to further develop "democratic diversity" in Russia society.
"I made clear on my part that we have every interest in democratic diversity in Russia being able to develop further, because it is only that way that a truly robust civil society can arise which supports the development of the country," said Merkel, but the comment didn't receive respond from Putin.
German newspaper Die Welt commented that Putin's very short stay in Berlin has showed Germany's weight in Russia's diplomatic parameters has been shrinking.
Germany-Russia relations could hardly be back to the honey-moon period when Gerhard Schroder was the Chancellor, the report added.
Putin has put emerging powers in east, rather than western countries, as his priority in foreign policy as he refused to attend the G8 summit in Camp David in May, and was absent from the NATO summit in Chicago a few days later.
Europe as well as other western countries would receive less focus from Russia in Putin's new term, Deutsche Welle reported.
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