SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Schockenhoff, you're the German government's representative for Russian affairs, and you're participating in a G-8 shadow summit in Moscow. The summit is organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Its motto is "The other Russia." Is your participation purely symbolic?

Schockenhoff: No. We're participating in a very deliberate and conscious manner. During my stay in Moscow, I want to speak to members of the Duma and the Kremlin and make them understand why we're making an appearance at the NGO meeting. It's important to make it clear to the Russian side why we believe that an independent, pluralist civil society is in Russia's best interests.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Another member of your party, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, met with civil rights activists during her last visit to Moscow. Is this a way of distinguishing yourself from the way in which Merkel's Social Democrat predecessor Gerhard Schröder dealt politically with Russia?

Schockenhoff: The chancellor is demonstrating that our policy towards Russia doesn't just serve economic interests. We want a partnership of values with this great land. Human and civil rights are an important element in this -- they're not always the main topic in our discussions, but they're always borne in mind.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The Russian government passed a law in November that makes it more difficult for money to be transferred to the NGOs from outside Russia. Will you address this issue?

Schockenhoff: Yes, because an increasing number of NGOs are complaining to me that they're subject to extensive monitoring and growing harassment. For example, the law requires them to announce all of their public events in advance and to allow state overseers to be present at these events; they also have to keep excessively meticulous records of their expenses. Sometimes forms with vague and ambiguous questions have to be filled out -- forms that are hundreds of pages long. They're so complicated that you really need to hire specialists just to complete them. There is great concern on our part that the NGOs won't be able to devote themselves adequately to their real work and the issues they normally address. What is more, the government can decide arbitrarily which NGOs it wants to investigate.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The fact is that Russian officials react harshly to criticism from outside. Do you have the impression that they understand the attitude of the German government?

Schockenhoff: During our discussions, we always emphasize that we express our concerns to other states in the same spirit of partnership whenever we fear human rights are at risk. We do so towards the USA, for example, in the case of Guantánamo, and towards China. We don't have an interest in pillorying Russia; we just want to make it clear that we view the country as a potential partner in values.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: One doesn't get the impression that pillars of Western society, such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance, are valued much in Russia. At a conference in Latvia in May, the US government -- represented by Vice President Dick Cheney -- accused Russia of not only having used its natural resource policy as a means of pressuring other states, such as the Ukraine, but also of restricting the rights of its own people in an unjustified and inappropriate manner. Isn't that kind of outspokenness and clarity preferable?

Schockenhoff: The way Cheney expressed himself and the place where he did so are more likely to lead to a hardening of positions. In my opinion, we have to make it clear to Russia that it needs a strong and independent civil society -- and not organizations whose creation was either imposed or who are completely aligned with government policy. It needs them for its modernization and for an international position of power that rests on more than just oil and natural gas and Russia's veto power in the United Nations Security Council.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Given the growing restrictions in Russia, does one not have to fear that civil society is being rolled back?

Schockenhoff: Civil rights activists have repeatedly assured me that it's worthwhile investing in democracy in their country -- no matter how strongly their capacity to represent themselves in the media and elsewhere has been curbed and despite the arbitrary measures they're exposed to. Let's not forget that this process only began in the 1980s, with perestroika.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Right now, during the preparations for the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia is making an effort to project a positive image. But what will happen after the summit?

Schockenhoff: NGOs critical of Moscow's policies are indeed concerned that they will be treated more toughly after the G-8 summit. For this reason, it's important for us to keep in close contact with them.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The annual Russian-German St. Petersburg Dialogue was introduced under former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Civil rights activists criticize it because the Russian side has never invited any of their representatives to take part. Are there any concrete steps the German government can take to change this?

Schockenhoff: We will put pressure on the Russian side to ensure that the full breadth of Russian society will be represented at the next St. Petersburg Dialogue, which will be held in Dresden in October.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Russian human rights activists have asked Angela Merkel to use her influence and address issues such as human rights at the 2007 G-8 summit, which will be hosted by Germany. Will the German government respect this request?