German Industry Keeps Door Open to Russia as Merkel Gets Tough
By Dorothee Tschampa Nov 26, 2014 10:59 AM ET
German companies are keeping the door open to Russia even as Chancellor Angela Merkel braced for a long confrontation with President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine.
A Russian delegation led by Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev met with representatives of vehicle manufacturer Daimler AG and car-parts producer Robert Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart yesterday.
“It’s good to talk to each other, also at times like this,” Heinz Gottwick, a Daimler spokesman, said by phone today. “We’re maintaining the contacts and are cultivating our relationship.”
Daimler owns 15 percent of Russian heavy-trucks maker Kamaz OJSC and supplies truck cabins, diesel engines and axles to the Russian market leader.
Ulyukayev also met with Bosch officials including supervisory board members Franz Fehrenbach and Tilman Todenhoefer. The car parts maker, which has been doing business in Russia since 1904, is active in all of its businesses in the former Soviet state from auto parts to consumer goods and thermo technology.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-26/german-industry-keeps-door-open-to-russia-as-merkel-gets-tough.html
