MOSCOW, 21 August 2021, (TON): German Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled to Russia to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, the separatist conflict in Ukraine and Moscow’s treatment of imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, among other issues.

Merkel’s visit to Moscow comes as she is nearing the end of her almost 16-year-long leadership of Germany. Despite sharp differences, she has maintained close contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades.

Merkel said as she sat down for talks with Putin in the Kremlin “even though we certainly have deep differences today, we speak to each other and that should continue to happen.”

She said “Libya, Afghanistan, bilateral and trade relations and civil society issues would feature in Friday’s talks.”

Putin noted the importance of ties with Germany and hailed Merkel’s role in developing them.

He said “Germany is one of our key partners in Europe and the entire world thanks to your efforts over the past 16 years.”

Before the talks, Merkel laid flowers at the Unknown Soldier’s Tomb near the Kremlin wall to honor the Soviet victims of World War II.

High on the agenda of Friday’s talks is the situation in eastern Ukraine. Germany and France have sought to help broker a peaceful settlement to end the fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 14,000 since 2014.

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier this week that “Russia could do much more” to help the settlement.