Merkel asks Putin to give NGOs a chance
GERMANY: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday asked
Russian President Vladimir Putin to “give a chance” to non-governmental
organisations which she described as a “motor of innovation”.
The two leaders were opening the Hanover industrial trade fair, with
dozens of demonstrators protesting against Putin's crackdown on the NGOs
outside the northern German city's convention centre where the opening
ceremony was held. Russia is the fair's partner country this year.
Merkel's statement, made in a much applauded opening speech, was a
direct reference to Russian probes into a number of international NGOs
including German think tanks, moves criticised by Moscow's partners. In
an interview with German public television station ARD, broadcast on
Sunday, Putin defended the crackdown, arguing that Russians had a right
to know which organisations that set up shop in the country were
receiving foreign funds “and for what”.
In her speech Merkel insisted on the importance of an active civil
society in Russia.
“Russia wants to diversify... and we want to help it,” she said
adding that a key element of the diversification of the economy was
innovation.
“We are convinced that this is particularly successful when there is
an active civil society,” she said. Outside the Hanover convention
centre about 100 demonstrators rallied peacefully calling on Moscow “to
leave the NGOs alone”.
The protest was organised by Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch. Putin earlier praised solid German-Russian trade relations which
last year totalled a record 74 billion euros ($96 billion).
“I'm sure that we will soon reach 100 billion,” said Putin.
AFP
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