ions in Russia much will depend on how they see the country developing over the next few years, especially as regards legal certainty. Russia will be even more closely integrated into the global economy following its forthcoming accession to WTO.post of Coordinator of German-Russian Intersocietal Cooperation was created in 2003 to underline the importance of contacts between people in the two countries. Dr Andreas Schockenhoff, Member of the German Bundestag, has held this office since March 2006. His mission is to foster good and durable relations between people in Russia and Germany. By strengthening civil society, the Coordinator s work also helps promote the development of democracy and the rule of law.engagement of civil society in both Russia and Germany is broad-based and is developing in a highly satisfactory way. For example, the number of local partnerships and friendships has risen to more than 160; exchanges among pupils and young people are also steadily increasing. The main focuses of the Coordinator s work are, among others, cooperation with NGOs, links between civil society initiatives in Germany and Russia with one another and with official agencies, promotion of exchange, town twinnings and the dialogue at European level.plays a special role in economic relations between the two countries. Russia is Germany s leading energy supplier, and Germany has a great deal to offer Russia in the field of energy efficiency. If closer ties between the European and Russian economies are to be established, much will depend on how Russia develops over the next few years, especially as regards legal certainty and modernization of the economy. The German-Russian modernization partnership is dedicated not only to economic concerns but also to social issues and the rule of law.year 2011 saw some big increases in trade between Germany and Russia. Bilateral trade went up by 29% compared to the previous year (2010: 58.1 billion euros), while German exports to Russia rose by 31% and imports by 27%. This makes Germany Russia s second-biggest trading partner in the world, next to China, and its most important within the EU. The volume of trade grew again between January and July 2012, with a 16% rise in German exports to Russia and an 8% increase in imports.now has full membership of the World Trade Organization, having ratified its decision to join in summer 2012. Membership of the WTO involves an obligation to comprehensively dismantle barriers to trade.mainly exports fuels (oil and gas) and raw materials (especially metals) to Germany. Conversely, German companies mainly export capital goods, machinery, vehicles, chemical products, electronic products and foodstuffs to Russia. Some 6500 German companies are currently active in Russia. German companies invested around 19 billion euros in the Russian Federation du...
