CARBIS BAY, UK (AFP) - United States President Joe Biden will meet outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington next month, the White House said on Friday (June 11).

“President Biden looks forward to welcoming Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to the White House on July 15, 2021,” press secretary Jen Psaki said, adding that ending the Covid-19 pandemic and tackling climate change were top of the agenda.

The visit comes amid tensions over the disputed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Nord Stream 2, which will carry Russian natural gas to Germany, is beginning some testing operations on Friday, just days after the US government acknowledged the project would be completed despite efforts to block it.

The US is now working with Germany to limit how dependent Europe’s energy system will be on Russia after the pipeline is completed, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.