Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the Russian President Vladimir Putin to the German government guesthouse in Meseberg. The Chancellor’s main concern was to keep open the channels of communication with Russia. As she stressed before she dined with her guest, the most important thing was to engage in an open and frank exchange of views. She wanted to continue the talks they began in May in Sochi, she said.

Ukraine conflict – unresolved problems remain

At the start of her meeting with the Russian President, Angela Merkel stressed their joint responsibility for resolving crises, such as those in Syria and Ukraine. The Minsk Agreements are the foundation on which to build peace in eastern Ukraine, declared Angela Merkel, "although we are forced to note that there is still no stable ceasefire".

The Chancellor hopes that it will prove possible to undertake a new attempt to realise a disengagement of the forces involved in the conflict. Angela Merkel also discussed with Vladimir Putin the possibility of launching a UN mission, that could play a part in building peace. Germany, she said, is ready to continue to shoulder responsibility within the framework of the Normandy group.

Syria – preventing a humanitarian disaster

Another major item on the agenda was the Syrian conflict. First of all, it must be ensured that the fighting around Idlib does not lead to a humanitarian disaster, stressed Angela Merkel. "We can see that the fighting is lessening, but that is not the same as establishing peace". Germany, as a member of the "Small Group" (Germany, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the USA) intends to work to get a political process off the ground.

Schloss Meseberg is about 60 km north of Central Berlin in Meseberg, which belongs to the town of Gransee. Since 1996, the Baroque palace has belonged to the Munich-based Messerschmitt Foundation, which restored it with minute attention to historic detail. In 2007 the Foundation then put it at the disposal of the German government for the symbolic price of 1 euro, initially for a period of 20 years. Since then, the German government has used the palace as a guesthouse, which frequently welcomes high-ranking visitors from inside and outside Germany. The Baroque estate is also used regularly for Cabinet retreats.