Germany's Economy Minister aims to get Russia sanctions lifted

Germany's Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel speaks to the council of elders of residents in a refugee camp in Hameln (Hamelin), Lower-Saxony, Germany, February 1, 2016. REUTERS/Nigel Treblin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel called on Thursday for the European Union to try to create conditions by this summer to lift sanctions imposed against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

"That must be our common goal," said Gabriel, whose Social Democrats (SDP) share power with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.