Putin charges: Europe has “blockade” against Russian investors

Europe has a “blockade” against Russian investors, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin charged in a speech in Berlin Friday.

He said Russian business wanted to acquire stakes in European Union (EU) companies but faced constant opposition.

The Russian prime minister was set to meet later with Chancellor Angela Merkel after attending a business conference organized in the capital by a newspaper, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

As an example, he spoke of vain efforts by Sberbank of Russia and a Canadian-Austrian car parts company, Magna, to acquire the General Motors subsidiary Opel last year.

“The way this deal was torpedoed was a negative example,” Putin said.

He said Russian investors tended to have doors slammed in their faces.

Earlier, German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg told the same meeting that Putin’s suggestion for a joint Russian-EU economic zone was “an interesting proposal,” but added, “Obviously a lot of study of it would be needed.”

Merkel appeared more cautious the previous day about the Putin proposal, which he made in a guest article for the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. dpa mfi jbp dms Author: Michael Fischer, Jean-Baptiste Piggin.