German Chancellor Angela Merkel is heading to Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, writes Euronews.

The visit comes during a low point in the relationship between the two countries, which continues to suffer from ongoing tensions over Moscow’s treatment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny and Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine.

Other challenging issues that are certain to arise are the current crisis in Afghanistan, the disputed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and Alexander Lukashenko’s repression of dissent in Belarus as well as his government’s efforts to channel migrants into Latvia, Lithuania and Poland with the aim of destabilising the European Union.

Merkel’s visit to Putin comes as the chancellor is nearing the end of her almost 16-year-long leadership of Germany.