MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosri) – Berlin and Moscow have fundamentally different points of view on events in Ukraine, but both sides must work together on settling the crisis, Germany's ambassador to Moscow said Tuesday.
Germany and Russia should rely on their long tradition of close and trustworthy relations, Ambassador Ruediger von Fritsch told the Germania website.
“Our politicians and public communicate to each other,” the diplomat said. “There is a robust cultural exchange and multi-faceted economic relations beneficial for both sides … There are forums at which we can talk to each other and try to find a way out of the crisis.”
Both Moscow and Berlin are uninterested in a souring of bilateral relations, von Fritsch said in his first interview as Germany's ambassador in Moscow.
“Both Germany and Russia have something to lose in case these relations substantially deteriorate. No side can be interested in such a course of events,” he said.
The diplomat expressed hope that once the crisis in Ukraine is resolved, the EU and Russia could rethink their future relations.
“It implies a reflection on mutual strategic goals,” he said.
Von Fritsch added that establishing a “common space between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans” could become such a goal.
In February, the Ukrainian parliament backed by far-right movements ousted from power President Viktor Yanukovych, amended the constitution and scheduled an early presidential election for May 25.
Moscow has described the uprising in Kiev as an illegitimate fascist coup and a military seizure of power, which resulted in it taking steps to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine, including the reunification with Crimea.
The move was heavily criticized by the US and EU, who imposed sanctions against several Russian officials and suspended cooperation in certain areas.
