yes puns atlanta we have a firm transatlantic relationship. in the course of history we are different opinions we still continue this partnership and we will continue to do that but still we have this partnership we are strategically interested in having good relations with russia. and even during the most difficult times i have. insisted on continuing the nato russia dialogue and i have always asked the european union to you keep up the dialogue with russia and talking to each other is something i consider important i was civil societies have many links many relations in our german russian copper ration. sometimes is under a lot of pressure because of the differences in opinion that we have but i repeat if we want to solve problems we have to talk and they are topics where we

absolutely agree on that is good because there's so many issues where we have diverging opinions so my approach. in those times where people usually talk about which one another nice thing it is necessary to rather talk with one another and i think today we have made a contribution to that and so maybe it was the right time to get together here. if you agree havel start with the first part of your question. i don't think it is necessary to link the development of relations between germany and russia. to the relations we have with third countries i have already said germany is one of a key trade and economic partners. eighty billion turnover in trade relations and we expect to close. from

our corporation hundreds of thousands of jobs pay and hundreds of thousand jobs both in russia and in germany by the way. we are increasing our imports from germany once again as we buy in commodities we are buying goods in germany and we also have a lot of investment this is an important factor that has repercussions on the life of both the germans and the russians. and even in the most difficult times we've never lost contacts. life goes on things develop new opportunities emerge. and it is important to solve the salient issues without having contacts. and so the german russian relations have their own dynamic development as far as this new law is

concerned that you have addressed and that is currently discussed in the duma. i agree of course we have to have something balanced. burkett's members of parliament suppose in our country and in your country have their own attitudes as far as such a law is concerned let me also say that there is such a law in europe as well and we have heard from process. you are. such a law will be actively used in germany in order to. protect their own interests so it's not very unusual foole russia to adopt a similar law but as i said let me repeat it should be a well balanced law that does not have any detrimental effects on our

national economy and on the economy of our international partners some work in russia. as you know. a lot more is still in parliament is still in the reading and the adoption was postponed. the floor goes to the russian journalists. but you push thank you very much. i come from russia today because i have a question to both leaders to dish nearly you have addressed the situation in the ukraine given the current situation and what. i don't hear you saying we should revitalize the normative florida soon as possible. and if so when do you think it is possible to have their next meeting one more question about

the ukraine or my question goes to you mrs merkel possibly but it's just so this war is a very dangerous incident regarding the freedom of opinion the. sheet of. ukraine was rested in the ukraine and i would like to. ask you on behalf of all russian. journalists to use your influence in all day to liberate this journalist this russian journalist and. of course because you have direct contacts to the people in power in the ukraine. aspires to normandy formant is concerned yes. we consider that an important instrument to regulate the situation to improve the situation in the east of ukraine and russia is willing and ready to work within the normandy far form and we consider it absolutely vital and there is

no alternative to this form and we have not yet discourse discussed a concrete date for the next normandy formit summit but we've talked about the all patootie to organize it of course it must be well organized well prepared and i think both the ministries of foreign affairs are going to work on and fire. as the rest of the gender is concerned i do agree with you it's an unprecedented think. somebody who is been actively. fulfilling his duty as a journalist has been arrested and accused of. treason we have. talked about suits and we have also talked about a number of other issues regarding the ukraine that i cannot explain in detail. of

course the normandy former. should include summit meetings of the heads of government but it must of course be prepared in a way to come bring the results a new german minister of foreign affairs has already started working together with the new year appointed minister of foreign affairs of the russian federation to start preparing such a meeting on the level of the consultants their constant. contacts and now we will deal with the you will in the mission and see if we can get a common mandate that we can get into the un security council. that would be obviously the right time for the heads of government to meet but of course we need to have it well prepared we have to have enough content and we have to have the opportunities to prove it send progress at the end of such a summit the situation that we have at the moment cannot be tolerated i agree secondly as far as the journalist has concerned i am going to talk to the ukrainian

president about my trip to sorts here and i'm going to address this issue at the same time i have a trace here in russia the case of journalists cannot work or get arrested which is a cause for concern to us as well on its. front jordan's a.p. . thank you. miss chancellor of germany heights over seven hundred thousand syrian refugees the majority of them probably would like to go back home one day which would signal to to get from russia russia will accept pressure on syria with the shipments us in order to come and president to accelerate the political process mr president said cripple today was released from hospital. can you give us

your response son more to use. to get from him. in the course of the investigation that is going on is diplomatically difficult we have talked about this hearing issue as i said. the united nations have supported a proposal namely to initiate a constitutional process yesterday. we had signals that the a star now or such a group of men would like to nominate representatives and then of course i don't know representatives will have to be nominated to we need a political process we need to push it and we would like to support such a political process i have also talked about a concern this so-called decrease in number ten which means that people. that do not report. soon will lose

their rights to the property they have left in syria that is of course a reason for concern for those outside the country and here we'll have to talk about that and we will have to talk to russia about it so that russia will exert an influence on assad not to pass such a decree it would be an obstacle to the return of refugees and we need to improve the situation. both of them ladies and gentlemen as far as the first part of your question is concerned let me say that. in those. regions that were liberated by the armed forces of syria. what was that i share here we already see a return of many refugees to their homes. there some regions like in the east where people were voluntarily

relegated to other regions of syria. people starts asking can they return your money this is a movement that we see already. and we are talking about thousands of people. on the way all wanting to go by of course we need to also step up our humanitarian efforts in order to restore the economy if the europeans once shoes so you syrians to return from europe to their home when you agree they. should not give carte the with the aid to syria that i do not understand anyway those cuts and they really have to support also those regions that are under the control of the national government or. if you've been watching live coverage of press conference from such is the russian black sea resort where president vladimir

putin and chancellor angela merkel have been addressing journalists after their brief talks that they had at the invitation off that russian president and the russian president in his brisk opening remarks and talked about the various issues that they discussed the top for business politics he also discussed he said coach and humanitarian affairs but he was short on detail then america spoke he talked about also of bilateral ties and would describe the discussions as frank and open listening to that press conference with me it was good stuff giffin from the european council on foreign relations he's with me in the studio. as i mentioned they talked about the various issues the book talked about international relations if they discuss. putting talked about a difficult situation and to nationally at the moment just the meco talked about the situation with iran being complicated what was your key takeaway from the comments actually meant to hold the line. she

starts to bring that topic of individual and collective human rights in russia and sort of this disturbing the balance for of contacts on the cultural exchange russia actually trying to diffuse as a city reset issue then she talked about ukraine she was very frank about you from rolling in transit. is she talked about the iran deal and this was sort of something very different opinion with the president from but did not have the full the transatlantic link in itself. on the table as you could see and putin's phases. it was not what he wanted from them and that's good then there's also been much discussion with this source the summit could mark a bit of a shift in relations between the two countries and in fact a journalist put that question a german jew. i'll be going to see a renaissance in russian german relations. and the mechanism used to shock that

down and said no we have a buddy from relationship relationship what we have a grudge a strategic interest what do you make of that. this is a difficult moment for you know all german diplomatic language that's germany's don't the one that wants to have a conflict is russia which is true. surrendering its own interests russian or is it surrendering established international and european all the. relationship when that is not the case so the germans say yeah we want to have sort of the kind of post ninety nine call back but the post ninety nine to start school means that you have to behave especially in ukraine and in the east the neighborhood. and other interesting situation was the putin has put sort of the financial aid to assad on the table quite quite some time this is sort of now we'll just boring russia that they have bombed the country. now somebody has to pay the

rebuilding it's. and this is i think what the russians want to see the west i think. relations between the two countries but i'm sorry we have to leave it there . from the european council on foreign relations thank you so much for. watching the news coming to you live from london and have not. hire one while going to another edition of your own max i'm your host to meghan lee from springtime in spain to bright ideas for your home we've got a mixed bag on the show today here's a look at what's coming up. first of color we visit the flower festival in the

spanish city of shiraz. cashing in on can't we shop around for weird.