German FM on Navalny, East Mediterranean

The foreign ministers of Germany and Turkey met in the Turkish capital Monday, following a tumultuous year in Turkish-European relations, expressing a desire to continue mending ties and solving an ongoing dispute with Greece.

Speaking to the press, Germany's Heiko Maas welcomed Turkey's announcement to restart negotiations with Greece saying it was, "a first step towards a diplomatic solution of the disputes and a good signal for the stability of the region."

The two neighbours came close to the brink of war over the summer due to a dispute on maritime boundaries and energy rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Last week, both countries announced the resumption of exploratory talks and said meetings could take place between top officials, including the Turkish president and the Greek prime minister.

Maas also commented on the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Sunday at a Moscow airport.

"Russia is bound, by its own constitution and its international commitments, to the principle of the rule of law and that is of course also the case for Mr. Navalny. These principles have to be used, which means that Mr.Navalny has to be freed immediately," he said.