Wulff visits German companies at close of Russia trip

Oct 15, 2010, 13:47 GMT

Ulyanovsk, Russia/Berlin - German President Christian Wulff ended his four-day stay in Russia on Friday with a visit to German companies with branches in Ulyanovsk.

Wulff viewed a Bosch training center and a Fresenius dialysis clinic that treats patients with chronic kidney failure in the city, located some 700 kilometres east of the capital Moscow.

The president called on Russian leaders to remove investment constraints such as restrictive visa and travel rules. Facilitated travel and legal protection are especially important for medium-sized firms to also come to Russia, he said.

Almost all large German companies are already represented in the country, according to Russian data.

Russian officials, meanwhile, showed the most interest in expanding economic relations and in German technology.

Wulff's proposal to also work more closely on democratization generated only mixed reactions.

But Wulff viewed his state visit - which also took him to Moscow and St Petersburg - positively overall, saying that Russia's doors stand wide open for Germany and its companies.

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