ST. PETERSBURG, May 22./IATR-TASS/. Germany has no possibilities, neither from the technical, nor from the economic point of view, to abandon acquiring natural gas from Russia, Chairman of the Russia-Germany Foreign Trade Chamber Michael Harms said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday.
“We need to set the vector at diversification. But here I will quote a firm position of the Germany’s Energy Ministry “In a short term, there is no possibility to abandon the supplies from Russia,” Harms said.
“Even in the times of more serious crises, as for example when (Russian) troops entered Afghanistan, supplies have not been stopped for a day,” he said. “This will continue this way.”
Harms added that the situation was being destabilised by “introducing the political context into the economic sphere, which undermines investors’ confidence.”
“About 90% of deals are made between private entrepreneurs,” he said. “Medium-sized companies prevail in Germany’s business structure. Neither Mr Putin, nor Mrs Merkel interfere at this level. Business goes on, and the main thing is not to hinder it and to stop concentrating on political problems, instigating distrust.”
“This approach will also stabilise the political situation in the long run,” Harms added.