<span style="color: #222222;">German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she expected tough talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow on issues from the Syria and Ukraine conflicts to energy cooperation. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Merkel will host Putin from tomorrow at the government retreat in Meseberg castle north of Berlin, where they will only give media statements and not hold a joint press conference.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">She stressed it was crucial to maintain a "permanent dialogue" with Moscow, especially ahead of a possible summit on the Syria conflict that could also include the leaders of Turkey and France.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin and Merkel would talk about "bilateral relations as well as the implementation of major joint commercial projects, against the backdrop of threats by third countries to these projects".</span><br />''  <br />