Merkel presses Putin to avoid further EU energy 'irritation'

Russian president Vladimir Putin has pledged to secure energy supplies to Europe by reducing dependency on transit states like Belarus, following a meeting with German leader Angela Merkel who said further "irritations" between the EU and Moscow have to be avoided.

"We have exchanged views on [the fact] that there have been irritations in the beginning of the year and that communication in the future has to be improved, in order to avoid these irritations," Ms Merkel said after talks w...