German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia for the first time since 2015.

Axar.az reports citing to BBC the meeting, at Mr Putin's summer residence in Sochi, comes at a low point in bilateral relations over the war in Syria and Russia's annexation of Crimea.

They are expected to discuss both issues during their meeting - but no breakthroughs are expected.
Mr Putin will then meet Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.

Ties between Russia and Germany have worsened since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea in Ukraine, with Germany being a driving force behind the EU sanctions imposed in response.

The pair, who are among the most powerful world leaders, have crossed paths at international summits recently.
But this meeting - with the official purpose of discussing the G20 summit of world leaders to be held in Hamburg in July - is the first trip Mrs Merkel has made to Russia in two years.

Russian news outlet Tass said the pair would discuss terrorism, the Middle East, and the Minsk agreements on the Ukraine crisis, quoting a Kremlin press source.