Angelina Timofeeva. The participants of the 13th German-Russian conference of sister cities in Karlsruhe stressed the need and desire to engage in Direct dialogue for understanding and rapprochement between pairs of countries.

The conference with the name "70 years of Field end of the war: power and utilities convergence" was opened on Sunday in Karlsruhe in the city's Congress centre.

Of the 470 participants from more than 50 Russian cities and more than 30 German with the active participation of specially invited experts, politicians and diplomats gathered to discuss a range of issues, from economic ties to youth exchanges, on the anniversary of the Victory before the cooperation at the municipal level.

"I look at the hall and see everywhere the guests of honor, I'll have to take your time to represent all ", - said in his opening remarks, Oberburgermeister Karlsruhe Frank Mentrup.

He especially welcomed the delegation from Krasnodar - Russian twin city of Karlsruhe, the corresponding agreement was signed in 1992." This friendship was built by the inhabitants of Karlsruhe and Krasnodar, politics can not afford to destroy these ties, " said Mentrup.


the head of the Association of sister cities, the Governor of the Moscow region Andrey Vorobyov read out to the participants the greetings of the President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

"Sister city relationships are an important part of bilateral relations Russia and Germany. They are United not only by such metropolises as Moscow and Berlin, St. Petersburg and Hamburg, Samara and Stuttgart, but also dozens of small towns. They are a popular and effective channel of direct dialogue of civil societies pairs of countries ", - is reported in the statement of the President of the Russian Federation.

According to Andrei Vorobyov, the Association has Today 92 twin city, of which 14 are within the Metropolitan region." We pay Close attention to relations with Germany, " - said Vorobyov.

Commissioner of the German government for intersocietal cooperation with Russia Gernot Erler read out to the participants the greetings of the Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.

"The year 2015 is marked by a serious examination of the relations between Germany and Russia. Most importantly, the situation in Ukraine leads to significant differences. In this connection it is extremely important to use every opportunity for open conversation. Direct dialogue is especially valuable for the conference of the German-Russian twin cities ", - said in the greeting of the German Chancellor.

"The question we will discuss is neither much nor a little in how We are going to build Our future. Our partnership is worth it, maintain it direct meetings between people from both countries, " he added Erler.


A special appeal to the attendees of the conference from the head of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov read out the Russian Ambassador to Germany Vladimir Grinin.

"Today, when the situation in the EU has become more complicated, the Russian-German relations are experiencing hard times, such activities that promote a positive, future-focused agenda, is of particular importance," - said the Minister.

Lavrov is convinced that " the outcome of the forum will make additional preconditions For the subsequent build-up of inter-regional cooperation between our countries ".

"Inter-regional relations, partnerships between cities create a very dense fabric of inter-state relations, which makes these relations are resilient to the fluctuations of the political weather," said the Ambassador Grinin.


"Life is wiser than any politics, Life will overcome any political winter," said the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation on international cooperation in the field of culture Mikhail Shvydkoi.

He said in his own statement that, while the Germans and Russians are different, " we need to listen, you need to understand one another, and Today, on this lovely meeting such a possibility exists."

"Russia has made a great contribution to the reunification of Germany ", - said the head of the German-Russian forum Matthias Platzeck, tearing applause." in our common interest, the interaction between Russia and Europe, and not confrontation, " He added.

The conference is the German-Russian forum in cooperation with the Federal Association of the Western-Eastern societies, among them the international Association of sister cities in the Russian Federation, and the city of Karlsruhe.

sections: Politics