The German Eastern Business Association (OAOEV) has called for not applying sanctions on Moscow over the poisoning of Russian opposition blogger Alexey Navalny as the matter still lacks a comprehensive investigation, OAOEV spokesman Andreas Metz said on Thursday
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2020) The German Eastern business Association (OAOEV) has called for not applying sanctions on Moscow over the poisoning of Russian opposition blogger Alexey Navalny as the matter still lacks a comprehensive investigation, OAOEV spokesman Andreas Metz said on Thursday.
"The background to the crime must be comprehensively and transparently clarified together with Russia. We must not allow this incident to lead to a long-term burden on bilateral relations and thus further damage German-Russian economic ties," Metz told journalists.
The spokesman further cited German Chancellor Angela Merkel as saying last week that the Navalny affair should not be linked to the development of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
"We consider it wrong to respond to Navalny's poisoning with new economic sanctions, which will affect completely uninvolved companies and people of Russia," Metz said.
