BERLIN (Sputnik) — He noted that the situation is disappointing and depends on various factors.
"The proportion of the GDR and the FRG [Eastern and Western Germany] in the foreign trade of the USSR was 11.5 and 4.3 percent respectively in 1985, but now the share of Germany is 8.8 percent. A turnover of German-Russian trade fell from $74.9 billion in 2013 to $45.8 billion in 2015. During January — May 2016, the figure fell short of $15 billion and the forecast for the year amounts to $35-37 billion. Comments, as they say, are unnecessary," Zverev said.
In 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions over Crimea's secession from Ukraine, accusing Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations, and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability.
