21.06 Putin, Merkel Pay Controversial Visit to Museum
ST. PETERSBURG, June 21 (RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited an exhibition on Friday, contrary to earlier press reports that the event had been canceled due to a controversy over artworks that the Soviet Union took from Germany during and after World War II.
The Bronze Age art exhibition took place at St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum, which includes works once owned by German museums.
Earlier reports in the German media had cited Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, as saying that Russia had canceled the visit amid concerns that Merkel intended to address the issue of looted art in her opening speech. Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied that the visit had been canceled due to a dispute and cited a clash in the two leaders' schedules, the Financial Times reported.
During the visit, Putin urged Russia and Germany to be guided by the example of cultural specialists in the two countries working beyond the political context of our time.
