Delicate mission

Frank-Walter Steinmeier became the first president of Germany to visit Russia since the start of the Ukrainian crisis

When German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier went out to the German press on Wednesday, he looked serious and concentrated. A pleasant part of his visit was drawing to an end, a difficult part was coming. The president had just met with Mikhail Gorbachev, consulted with him about improving relations between Germany and Russia, and, above all, about the upcoming meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Gorbachev advised Steinmayer: "We need to talk even about what is difficult."

Steinmeier’s visit to Moscow was entirely under the slogan of dialogue: Steinmeier, even being the Minister of Foreign Affairs, advocated a dialogue with Russia. Now, as the president of Germany, he wants to find out if Putin is interested in rapprochement with the West.

“I came in a time when German-Russian relations became difficult,” Steinmeier said. “And I consider it my duty to make this situation do not last forever.”

In the Kremlin, Putin met Steinmeier Heat. “Herzlikh Willcomman” (“Welcome”), ”Putin said in German.

The conversation and the working lunch of Steinmeier and Putin went for a long time: they spent three hours together. At the end, Putin said that this conversation was “constructive” and “with satisfaction” noted the growth of bilateral trade relations between the two countries. During the meeting, the problem of dialogue with Ukraine was also discussed. Putin and Steinmeier again agreed that only the implementation of the Minsk agreements could resolve the conflict.

Mr. Steinmeier is the first president of Germany to visit Russia since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine. His predecessor, an activist for civil rights of the GDR Joachim Gauk, refused to travel to Russia and even from the presence at the Sochi Olympics. The last time, German President Christian Wulf came to Russia, it was seven years ago.

The visit of Frank-Walter Steinmeier was restrained and practical. One -day work trip is the lowest category of the international protocol.

Its reason was the transfer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by Russia of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Moscow. Steinmeier called him a beautiful gesture in relation to Germany. It was this gesture that made his visit possible.

The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul was expropriated by the USSR in 1938. Since then, the church has been used as a concert hall, a cinema and a cinema studio. Since 2008, the Protestant Church on lease could again conduct worship in its walls. While still the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steinmeyer largely contributed to the return of this cathedral of the Evangelical Lutheran cellar.

On Wednesday, a symbolic key to the cathedral was handed over at the ceremony of the church. Steinmeyer in his speech thanked Putin for the transfer of the cathedral in the year of the anniversary of the Reformation. He expressed the hope that the cathedral would remain the place of the meeting of the Orthodox and Protestants, Russians and Germans. This church can serve as an example that similarities can be found even where there are only differences, he spoke diplomatically.

Stefani Unsleber, especially for Novaya Gazeta