German industry pins hopes on Scholz to reduce tensions with Russia

Moscow (dpa) – German business leaders in Russia have “high hopes” for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday, when he is set to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about tensions over Ukraine.

“The conflict surrounding Ukraine must definitely be resolved peacefully and with the means of diplomacy,” Rainer Seele, the president of the Russian German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK), said on Sunday.

Scholz will visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Monday and Putin in Moscow the following day. Relations between Germany and Russia are more strained than they have been for decades due to a multitude of conflicts.

Seele warned against freezing joint economic projects, saying that this would just create “more confrontation.”

“Even in the darkest times of the Cold War, the German economy was always a bridge between Germany and the Soviet Union,” he said.

Despite EU sanctions over the Ukraine conflict and pandemic-related restrictions, German companies had invested around €7.6 billion ($8.6 billion) in Russia in the past five years, the AHK announced.

German companies expect Scholz to raise other issues during his meeting with Putin, including new compulsory medical tests for foreigners who want to work in Russia.

“German and foreign managers and engineers are being subjected to a discriminatory and time-consuming procedure, to the detriment of the investment climate, and this despite the fact that they are promoting investment in Russia in their home countries,” said Matthias Schepp, chairman of the AHK board.

According to a law signed by Putin, foreigners living in Russia have had to undergo tests every three months since January for drugs, as well as syphilis and other diseases. X-rays are also required, which are controversial because of the risk of radiation exposure.

“Resentment among managers, engineers, scientists and researchers remains high. The regulation should be suspended,” said Schepp.