OWWF for an international match Russia-Germany in the former Stalingrad

"We support the city government of Volgograd's concern that there will be an international match between Russia and Germany in the former Stalingrad at the opening of the new stadium,"said Eberhard Sinner, former State Minister of Bavaria's East-West Economic Forum (OWWF), at an event with the President of Russia-Germany Society, Olga Zinovieva. Even in politically difficult times, the OWWF supports an intensive dialogue between Germany and Russia.

Beyond the international sanctions, which Sinner does not question, there would still be a lot of scope for an intensive political, economic and social exchange. Human relations are not subject to sanctions,"says Sinner. The OWWF thus follows on from the original idea of "people's diplomacy", which the OWWF had already pursued at the time of the Cold War.

After the OWWF had supported the construction of a peace chapel for all fallen soldiers in Rossoschka near Volgograd, which was inaugurated in September 2016 for the first time in recent years, it was a matter of concern that the good relations established in this way be maintained. Now it is time to look into the future in the consciousness of the often painful past. "It would be a special sign if Russia and Germany met peacefully on the football pitch in the former Stalingrad instead of on the battlefield,"said the former head of the Bavarian State Chancellery. Together with former Federal Minister of Economics Michael Glos, Sinner had already contacted the DFB to ensure that this match could be included in the programme.