Putin, Merkel hold telephone conversation over COVID-19, Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel during their joint press conference at Bocharov ruchey State Residence in Sochi, Russia, May 18, 2018. /VCG

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a telephone conversation on Wednesday focusing on, among other issues, the COVID-19 fight and the settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

"The importance of close coordination of international efforts in this direction with active participation of the World Health Organization was emphasized," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin and Merkel examined in detail problems of the intra-Ukrainian conflict settlement, stressing the necessity of consistently implementing the Minsk agreements and decisions adopted at the Normandy format summits between leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France.

The Kremlin statement noted that the two leaders positively assessed the recently held exchange of prisoners between Kiev and the non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk and Donetsk.

In addition, the parties discussed issues related to the development of the situation in Syria and Libya, as well as the current situation in the world oil market, it said.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency