German Chancellor Angela Merkel has moved a young Afghan boy to tears, shaking his hand after he publicly thanked her at a party meeting.

The boy, identified only as Edris, and his father attended a congress in Heidelberg Monday evening of Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats. Edris said: "Thank you, Mrs. Merkel!" The chancellor replied: "You've learned German well" and added "keep practising." He did, telling the chancellor: "And I wanted to touch your hands once."

Merkel stepped down from the podium to meet the boy and pose for photos. Video footage showed the youngster wiping away tears.

Germany took in hundreds of thousands of migrants last year, earning Merkel both praise and criticism. Earlier in Monday's meeting, a disgruntled party member urged her to resign, earning boos.