Michael Kretschmer said that the EU and Germany rightly demand compliance with the principles of the rule of law
Prime Minister of the German state of Saxony Michael Kretschmer considers the EU sanctions against Russia a mistake and advocates continuing dialogue with Moscow, despite the situation around Alexei Navalny. The German politician was quoted as saying by DPA on Thursday.
Kretschmer said that the EU and Germany rightly demand that the principles of the rule of law are respected.
“But that doesn’t change anything about the fact that sanctions have no proper effect, that they are circumvented in various ways and that therefore they have no future as a policy tool”, – he said.
He said all the prime ministers of the East German states were of the opinion that the sanctions against Russia should be lifted.
“We should still talk to each other again, not about each other”, – Kretschmer said. He expressed his misunderstanding of the course of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who, in his view, keeps up a “harsh and unyielding rhetoric” against Russia.
The Saxon prime minister plans to visit Moscow in April this year in order to take part in the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the Romantic era and organised jointly by the Tretyakov Gallery and the Dresden State Art Collections.