Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Moscow next week, the Kremlin said on Friday.
The leaders are set to discuss the development of the bilateral relations, and international and regional issues at the meeting slated for Aug. 20, according to a Kremlin statement.
"It is planned to discuss the state and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, as well as to consider a number of topical international and regional issues," it said.
Earlier, Russian media quoted German government spokesman Stephen Seibert as saying that Merkel was planning a trip to Russia and Ukraine.
Putin and Merkel last met in Moscow in January 2020.
After that, the leaders of Russia and Germany talked on the phone several times, the last talk was July 21, 2021.
Russia-Germany relations have been strained since 2014 with the rise of a pro-Western government in Ukraine, while Berlin is participating in Western sanctions against Moscow. 219
