Russian president's dog interrupts Putin-Merkel talks
(SOCHI) - President Vladimir Putin's dog Koni made an unusual appearance here on Sunday during talks between the Russian leader and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The labrador sauntered into the meeting room in front of reporters at Putin's residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and sat at Merkel's feet, causing the German chancellor apparent discomfort.
Putin patted Koni and pulled the dog away from Merkel, saying: "I don't think the dog will scare you. She won't do anything bad, she likes journalists," Interfax news agency reported.
"How old is she?" Merkel asked. "Five years old," Putin, who worked as a KGB agent in former East Germany in the 1980s, responded in German. "That's not old," Merkel then said.
Putin and Merkel were meeting for talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi expected to focus on EU energy security, with Middle East diplomacy, Iran's nuclear programme and EU-Russia ties also on the agenda.
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