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RUSSIAN – GERMAN RELATIONS
IGOR MAKSIMYCHEV,
Senior Fellow at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences
RUSSIAN - GERMAN RELATIONS WILL NOT CHANGE
At their recent meetings Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his opposition challenger Angela Merkel have confirmed that they are determined to prevent any setbacks in their bilateral relations and to keep them at the level that had been achieved in the last seven years, regardless of the outcome of the elections. After all, it had taken the two countries 50 years to become close partners.
It is difficult to imagine today the strained political atmosphere in Europe in mid 1950s, when Moscow came up with a timely proposal to Bonn to normalize relations without any preconditions. Credit is also due to Konrad Adenauer (CDU), who went to Moscow and signed the proposed agreement in September 1955 despite the advice of his Western allies. True, the diplomatic relations between the U.S.S.R. and the other German state, the German Democratic Republic, had been established six years before, and served as a starting point for the restoration of friendship between the two nations.
For all its importance, September of 1955 only produced diplomatic relations, that is, allowed West Germany and the U.S.S.R. to talk without go-betweens. Many years had to pass before the two nations became friends and partners. In fact, it was only in 1970 that they paved the way for better relations with the Moscow treaty signed by Willy Brandt (SDP) and Leonid Brezhnev.
The two countries became true partners when Helmut Kohl (CDU) and Boris Yeltsin signed a treaty on good neighborly relations, partnership and cooperation on November 9, 1990. Regrettably, in many respects this treaty remained a mere declaration for almost ten years. It was only in the 21st century that the government of Gerhard Schroeder (SDP) started translating it into reality. Moscow hopes that if opposition leader Angela Merkel becomes Chancellor, she will continue the efforts of her predecessors from the SDP.
But there are people in the entourage of Angela Merkel who have not yet overcome the Cold War mentality, when Germany saw Russia as its adversary rather than a partner. Further advance of bilateral cooperation, at least initially, will depend on the extent to which they will be allowed to influence German policy. However, there is little doubt that such attitude will not prevail.
The firm foundation of Russian-German relations rests on the basic realities of Europe and the rest of the world in the early 21st century, and these realities are immune to change.
Europe urgently needs to overcome the persisting barriers of the past confrontation, which still have not disappeared, moving further east towards the Russian borders instead. The only reliable way to a stable future in Europe lies through EU-Russian common spaces. But European Commission has been remarkably sluggish and indecisive. The impression is of a mass grave of ideas and projects for Bigger Europe rather than the headquarters of a continental construction site. Therefore, those states that think about the future of Europe have to take the initiative into their own hands.
In the political sphere this role indisputably belongs to France, Germany, and Russia, a threesome that has managed to unite the West and the East for the first time since the end of the Cold War. Putting an end to the confrontation has allowed Europe to restore its international influence to a certain extent, which had been lost almost completely during the Cold War. The voice of Europe will be heard in the world only if Russia and the European Union speak in unison, and overcome any barriers and strife altogether. The threesome is working towards this goal by supporting all projects facilitating the unification of Europe.
The agreement on the North European gas pipeline, signed by Germany and Russia on September 8, paves the way to the pan-European energy alliance despite its bilateral character.
This is a crucial agreement, considering that requirements for energy carriers have been and will continue growing all the time. Demand for gas has been increasing most dramatically.
There only just two ways of guaranteeing the imports of vital energy carriers - acquisition of world gas and oil deposits or partnership with those countries that have them.
Russia is ready and able to ensure stable deliveries of energy resources to European and other countries on mutually beneficial terms. Our partners should not worry about becoming dependent on Russia for energy. Russia is by no means against the EU getting its energy supplies from other sources if it can find them.
Source: RIA Novosti
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