MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2020) Oliver Hermes, the chief of the German Eastern Business Association (OAOEV), which unites German companies doing business in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, has stressed the importance of developing cooperation with Russia in energy, climate, healthcare and the digital economy.
On Tuesday, the association held an online meeting with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov and high-ranking government officials. There were also about 25 participants from the German side. The participants discussed the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for economic development and prospects for closer cooperation in health, digital economy, energy and environmental protection.
"The German Eastern Business Committee is committed to continuing the dialogue between Germany and Russia in this politically difficult time ... If we could develop a joint, coordinated strategy for the [cooperation] between the EU and Russia, with a focus on energy, climate protection and digitalization, as a continent, we would use great opportunities to reposition ourselves in international competition," Hermes said, as quoted in the press release.
Hermes also stressed the importance of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a European project.
Meanwhile, Belousov proposed to the German side to hold permanent dialogues with the Russian ministries responsible for the economy.
The news comes amid EU accusations against Russia of the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, something Moscow has denied, and a possibility of the introduction of new sanctions on Moscow.
