MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) – Germany's Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia Gernot Erler welcomed Moscow's decision to return some 17,600 troops to their bases after drills in Russia's southern Rostov Region in an interview to Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper released Monday.
"This is an important step in the right direction. This shows that Russia does not want an escalation of the conflict with the West," the official said.
Erler also noted that the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum in Milan present an opportunity for dialogue among the leaders of Russia, the West and Ukraine in order to stabilize the situation in the latter.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to start returning 17,600 troops to their bases after summer drills in the Rostov Region. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Putin could meet with his French and Ukrainian counterparts as well as with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the crisis in Ukraine during the ASEM forum scheduled for October 16-17.
On Sunday, the Russian and German leaders discussed the preparation for the upcoming talks in a telephone conversation.
Relations between Russia and Western powers deteriorated following the country's reunification with Crimea back in March. Moscow was accused of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs, but has repeatedly denied the accusations. Brussels and Washington also introduced series of economic sanctions against Russia, while the Kremlin issued a one-year ban on certain food product imports in response.
Representatives of Kiev and southeastern Ukraine's independence forces reached a ceasefire deal at a September 5 meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine, also comprising Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The group's next meeting resulted in a memorandum, specifying the process of the ceasefire's implementation.
