BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern over the development of democracy in Russia in an interview released Saturday, taking a cooler stance towards Moscow than her predecessor.
Merkel’s comments come in the wake of the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine, which saw a brief drop in natural gas deliveries to Germany, and a week before she is to pay her first visit to President Vladimir Putin since taking office on Nov. 22.
“We can’t ... transfer our idea of democracy” to Russia, Merkel told Der Spiegel weekly in an early release of its Monday edition. “At the same time, I confess there are developments that I view as cause for concern, for example the new law against non-governmental organizations.”
Her remarks show she is pursuing a different tack in German-Russian relations than her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, who enjoyed a close friendship with Putin. Schroeder was often criticized at home for not using his position to help bring about more positive democratic change in Russia.
In December, the Russian state-owned gas company OAO Gazprom named Schroeder chairman of a $5 billion Russian-controlled venture to build a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea.
Asked by Spiegel if she would use the word “friendship” to describe relations between Russia and Germany, Merkel underlined her government’s more distant stance toward Moscow.
“I think the notion of a strategic partnership is more appropriate,” Merkel said. “I think that we don’t yet share as many values with Russia as we do with America.”
At the same time, Merkel said, Germany “needs good, stable relations with Russia” to ensure the continued flow of natural gas. Germany currently receives 30 percent of its natural gas from Russia.
Merkel is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Jan. 16 for a meeting with Putin. |