The German minister had to justify himself to a Russian journalist
Journalist of the Russian Kommersant Elena Chernenko today at a press conference in Moscow reminded German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of his interview with Der Spiegel magazine, in which the diplomat said that Russian foreign policy is becoming more hostile.
“How are you going to establish cooperation with Russia with such a tough attitude, much more critical than that of your predecessor?” Chernenko asked.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reprimanded her:
"You are not hospitable." “As it is,” the journalist retorted.
“Today we tried to prove that we are cooperating as specifically as possible. On specific projects, step by step in the direction of our common interests. It seems to me that we have succeeded very well,” replied Maas.
At the same time, he admitted that “there are critical points” in the relations between the two countries, to which he included the Skripal case and the hacker attack on the German Foreign Ministry, for which the Germans blame Moscow.
“I think partnerships need to be able to withstand that kind of open and honest dialogue. We just need to check if we are playing by the same rules. This is a prerequisite for constructive dialogue. I believe that if there is a critical position, we need to talk about it, and where there are common interests, we should pursue them,” Maas said.
“I have always said that we need dialogue with Russia. Not only Germany, but also the European Union and the West. Otherwise, we will not resolve existing conflicts,” the German minister assured.
German minister forced to justify himself to Russian journalist