Moscow, Aug. 20, (dpa/GNA) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel landed in Moscow on Friday ahead of her meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, exactly one year since Putin critic Alexei Navalny was the target of a poison attack.
She first laid a wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier at the Kremlin, 80 years after Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union.
Merkel then headed to the Kremlin where she met Putin, images on state television showed. The two leaders were due to have lunch before addressing a series of issues from Afghanistan to energy policy.
On landing, she called for continued dialogue despite significant political tensions.
“I am pleased that we can meet once again, perhaps as a farewell visit, but also as a working visit here in the Kremlin,” Merkel said.
“Even if we definitely have profound differences today, we talk to each other, and that should continue, and shape and inform German-Russian relations.”
GNA