Putin, Merkel to discuss prospects of settlement in Ukraine, issues of Iran, Syria on G20 sidelines in Osaka - Ushakov
MOSCOW. June 26 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan on June 29.
The meeting will address traditional issues: the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, the peace process in Syria, and also Iran.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov spoke about the president's schedule, which envisages participation in the forum and a bilateral agenda, before Putin's visit to Osaka.
Putin is scheduled to meet with Merkel on Saturday, June 29. It will be their first meeting this year. The Russian president and the German chancellor met four times last year, Ushakov said.
"The meeting in Japan will address vital global and regional issues, including the prospects of settlement of the internal Ukrainian conflict, the situation with Iran, and international assistance to the peace process in Syria," Ushakov said.
Germany is one of Russia's key trade partners, he said.
"The German government supports the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, seeing it as an economic project whose implementation will help diversify natural gas supply routes and in general raise Europe's energy security," Ushakov said.
As regards development of the Russian-German dialogue, the bilateral forum "St. Petersburg Dialogue" is due to hold its 18th plenary session in Bonn on July 18-19, which will be attended by the two countries' foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Heiko Maas, Ushakov said.