AfD Lawmakers Barred from Meeting Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi
A delegation of German far-right AfD party members scheduled to visit Russia next week will not meet with Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, according to the German newspaper Die Welt.
Delegation Details and Event
Bundestag members Steffen Kotré and Rainer Rothfuss, Saxony state party leader Jörg Urban, and MEP Hans Neuhoff are expected to attend a BRICS conference in Sochi starting November 17.
Cancelled Meeting with Medvedev
Rothfuss had expressed intentions to meet Medvedev, recalling their last year's conversation as “constructive and useful.” However, Markus Frohnmaier, AfD’s deputy parliamentary group leader and foreign policy spokesman, informed reporters that no meeting would take place.
“There will be no meeting with Medvedev,” Frohnmaier stated.
Die Welt sources indicated that the ban applies to all members of the visiting delegation.
AfD Leadership's Position
Despite the cancelled meeting, AfD’s leadership supports the trip. The party sees it as a valuable opportunity to keep communication channels open with Moscow.
Trip Schedule and Activities
German broadcaster Tagesschau reported that Kotré and Rothfuss plan to leave for Sochi on November 17 to participate in an “international BRICS-Europe symposium,” where Rothfuss is expected to deliver a speech.
Summary: The German far-right AfD delegation’s planned meeting with Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi has been canceled, but the party continues to endorse the Russia visit as a way to maintain dialogue.