Moscow, Aug 14 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 20 in Moscow, the Kremlin announced on Friday.

The leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation in various fields and exchange views on a number of international and regional issues, it said in a brief statement, Xinhua reported.

The talks will take place at a time when the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, the flagship energy project between Russia and Germany, is about to be completed despite opposition from the United States.

After meeting Putin, Merkel will visit Kiev on August 22 to discuss security issues and bilateral relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

--IANS int/pgh