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Merkel heads to Russia with big sales to ink

July 14, 2010 06:26 pm | Updated November 28, 2021 09:19 pm IST - Berlin/Moscow

German Chancellor Angela Merkel left Berlin on Wednesday on a five—day swing through Russia and China, mainly to open doors for German exporters as trade with both nations booms.

Aides said earlier that German trade with China was rising so fast that it now carries comparable political weight to the much older Germany—Russia economic relationship.

In Russia, Ms. Merkel is to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev in the Urals city of Ekaterinburg for the 10th meeting of the so—called Petersburg Dialogue.

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Russian Vice—Premier Viktor Subkov commented on Wednesday that “in many respects the future development of Russian—German relations are dependent” on the talks.

During the visit, German engineering giant Siemens is to sign a major deal with the Russian state railways to supply more than 200 regional trains, government sources in Berlin said. The deal would be worth 2.2 billion euros (2.8 billion dollars).

In countries where governments closely supervise the economy, business people often sign a memorandum of understanding with national leaders watching as a way of showing that the deal has the highest level of support.

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A news report in Germany said Ms. Merkel would also lobby Russia to ease its hostility to the planned Nabucco gas pipeline across Turkey.

Moscow opposes the project to ship Caspian gas westwards because it would compete with pipelines via Russia.

Ms. Merkel was also expected to bring up the issue of human rights in her talks with Russian leaders.

She was urged by the journalists group Reporters Without Borders to seek discussion on the case of Natalya Estemirova, a human rights activist who was murdered in Ingushetia on July 15, 2009.

“The promise to clear up this murder has so far remained only lip service,” a Reporters Without Borders statement said on Wednesday.

German Economics Minister Rainer Bruederle, who was also to be in Ekaterinburg, told the German newspaper Handelsblatt that Germany needed a wide selection of suppliers of heating gas. The paper said Ms. Merkel would tell Russia that Germany wanted Nabucco built.

In China, where she arrives on Thursday, she is to meet with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao. It will be her fourth visit to China as chancellor.

German aides said Mr. Wen would spend a lot of time accompanying her, which was a gesture of how important her visit was to Beijing.

One contract due for signing is between an offshoot of German automotive giant Daimler and Chinese truckmaker Beiqi Foton Motor.

Ms. Merkel’s trip will also include a stop in Kazakhstan on Sunday on her way back home.

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