Putin in Germany pledges to accelerate repayment of Russian debt
21/12/2004 15:02
Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday pledged to
accelerate the repayment of Russian debt to Germany and to open talks with
Europe on Chechnya issue.
Putin, who is on a two-day Germany tour, made the
pledges during his talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Hamburg. He
said he will speed up the repayment of Russian debt to Germany by giving the
latter "a big Christmas present," said sources of the German
government.
Germany is Russia's biggest foreign creditor, and the latter's
repayment will be a very helpful in Berlin's efforts to bring its budget under
the borrowing limits of the European Union.
On Chechnya issue, the Russian
leader welcomed proposals put forward by Germany and other European
countries.
"I would like to say we have examined and analyzed these proposals
very carefully in Moscow. We would like to accept these proposals fully and
completely," said Putin after his arrival in Hamburg.
Putin failed to give
details about the proposals, but German sources said they involve a dialogue
project and finical aid to Chechnya for resolving the issues.
Putin and
Schroeder also agreed to respect the result of Ukraine's presidential re-runoff
scheduled for Dec. 26, sources said.
Schroeder, while praising the bilateral
economic relations as " developing extremely well," told reporters the two
countries will promote cooperation "in the energy sector but not only in the
energy sector."
The two leaders are scheduled to continue their talks at the
Gottorf Castle near the Danish border north of Hamburg on Tuesday.
This was
their 28th meeting in four years. The meeting was originally scheduled for
September but postponed due to Russia's Beslan school hostage crisis, in which
more than 300 people were killed.
Russia and Germany have enjoyed a good
relationship, and both Putin and Schroeder strongly opposed to the US-led
military operations in Iraq. But their relations have been somewhat strained due
to the Ukrainian presidential runoff dispute, with Russia's open support for
Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the West's allegedly financing opposition
leader Viktor Yushchenko.
Xinhua
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