Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir to visit the North African country, Sudan’s state news agency said on Thursday.

Putin, fresh from an election victory granting him his fourth term and extending his leadership of Russia by six years, called Bashir on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, SUNA said.

Bashir congratulated Putin who affirmed his country’s commitment to investing in Sudan’s energy, oil, gas, and gold mining sectors.

The president extended an invitation to the Russian president to visit Sudan and discuss developing relations and building a strategic partnership and Putin accepted the invitation.

“The president extended an invitation to the Russian president to visit Sudan and discuss developing relations and building a strategic partnership and Putin accepted the invitation,” SUNA said. It provided no date for the visit.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for genocide and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s Darfur region, and is mostly shunned by Western leaders.

Sudan will sign a “roadmap” with Russia to build nuclear power stations during a visit to Moscow by Khartoum’s electricity minister, SUNA reported earlier this month.

REUTERS </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, congratulates Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl as he attends the wedding of Kneissl with with Austrian businessman Wolfgang Meilinger in Gamlitz, southern Austria, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. (Roland Schlager/pool photo via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is flying to Austria to attend the wedding Saturday of the country’s foreign minister, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Austrian authorities have imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern town of Graz of Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party.

Putin’s meeting with Merkel late Saturday takes place at the German government’s guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin. Topics during the bilateral talks include Ukraine, Syria and the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that the United States and some European countries object to.

The two leaders planned to make statements before the talks. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country's foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel .

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country's foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Vladimir Putin dances with Austria's pro-Moscow foreign minister at her wedding

Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where foreign minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman.

Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding.

Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in traditional Austrian costume.

According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also took a small Cossack men's choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding.

Austrian politician Joerg Leichtfried of the opposition Social Democratic Party criticised Kneissl's decision to invite Putin to the wedding.

He said it called into question Austria's role as a neutral intermediary in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels are battling government forces.

Putin's meeting with Merkel late Saturday takes place at the German government's guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin.

Topics during the bilateral talks include Ukraine, Syria and the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to which the United States and some European countries object.

The two leaders were scheduled to make statements before the talks, but there were no plans for a news conference afterwards. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country’s foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where foreign minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman.

Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country’s foreign minister on Saturday, before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where foreign minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman.

Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding.

Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in traditional Austrian costume.

According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also took a small Cossack men’s choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding.

Austrian politician Joerg Leichtfried of the opposition Social Democratic Party criticised Kneissl’s decision to invite Putin to the wedding.

Vladimir Putin arrives for the wedding of Karin Kneissl and Wolfgang Meilinger in Sulztal an der Weinstrasse (Ronald Zak/AP)

He said it called into question Austria’s role as a neutral intermediary in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels are battling government forces.

Putin’s meeting with Merkel late Saturday takes place at the German government’s guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin.

A police line blocks the Tscheppe vineyard in Sulztal an der Weinstrasse (Ronald Zak/AP)

Topics during the bilateral talks include Ukraine, Syria and the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany to which the United States and some European countries object.

The two leaders were scheduled to make statements before the talks, but there were no plans for a news conference afterwards. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked Austria’s chancellor to organize a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Vienna this summer and the White House is pondering the offer, a senior European official said.

Mr. Putin made the request during an official visit in the Austrian capital on Tuesday, the official said. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz accepted the request and pledged to approach Mr. Trump, the person said. </s> BERLIN -- Russian President Vladimir Putin made a flying visit to Austria to attend the wedding of the country's foreign minister Saturday before heading to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Photos showed Putin dancing with the bride, who was dressed in a traditional Austrian costume.

Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern border with Slovenia, where Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl married her partner Wolfgang Meilinger, a businessman. Kneissl, an independent, was nominated by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party, whose leaders also attended the wedding.

According to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Putin also brought a small Cossack men's choir along to entertain about 100 guests at the wedding.

Austrian lawmaker Joerg Leichtfried of the opposition Social Democratic Party criticized Kneissl's decision to invite Putin to the wedding, saying it called into question Austria's role as a neutral intermediary in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels are battling government forces. Austria currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the Russian president spent about an hour at the wedding. Putin gave the newlyweds a cold press oil machine, a traditional Russian samovar and a landscape painting that "depicts the place where the groom hails from," according to Peskov.

Peskov said Putin said "quite a long toast in German in which he said he was thankful and happy that he got a chance to visit the hospitable Austria."

Speaking hours later alongside Merkel before the two leaders held bilateral talks at the German government's guesthouse in Meseberg, north of Berlin, Putin said they would discuss bilateral ties, economic cooperation and Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea.

The United States and some European countries have criticized the pipeline, saying it could increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia, harm Ukraine - currently a major gas transit country - and pose an environmental risk.

"Nord Steam 2 is purely an economic project and it doesn't close the door to shipping gas through Ukraine," Putin said. Transit fees for Russian gas are an important item contributing to the Ukrainian budget.

With protesters audible Saturday outside the guesthouse in Meseberg, Putin also raised the issue of humanitarian aid and funding for international reconstruction in Syria.

"It's important to help those areas that the refugees can return to," he said. "I think it's in everyone's interests, including Europe's."

Germany, which has taken in hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing the war, has in the past insisted it wouldn't contribute to the reconstruction of Syria before a political settlement to end the war has been reached.

Merkel said the talks would also touch on the possibility of establishing a United Nations mission to help bring about peace in Ukraine. </s> Revealing pictures from inside the wedding of the Austrian foreign minister show Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrating as her guest of honor.

The Russian President, whose attendance at the event was criticized by many politicians within Austria, was snapped playing with dogs and dancing with the bride at the intimate ceremony.

Putin sat at the top table at the reception in the Austrian town of Graz alongside bride Karin Kneissl, a politician supported by the pro-Russia Austrian Freedom Party.

He was also pictured applauding as the groom made a speech and adding his signature to the bodywork of the wedding car - an Austrian tradition.

Austrian authorities imposed tight security measures around the site of the ceremony near the southern town of Graz for the celebrations as Putin flew in over the weekend.

Kneissl, 53, who married businessman Wolfgang Meilinger, invited Putin to the ceremony when the Russian president was visiting Vienna this year, presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov said.

The independent foreign minister first met the Russian president 17 years ago at a summit in Slovenia with the then US President George Bush in July 2001.

She has sharply criticised the EU's handling of Brexit and Catalonia's drive for independence and poured scorn on Angela Merkel's open-door migration policy, which she has called 'grossly negligent'.

A row was sparked on Friday as to whether the invitation was appropriate.

'How is Austria's presidency of the EU meant to live up to the government's own claims of building bridges (between the EU and Russia) and being an honest broker, when Austria's foreign minister and chancellor are so obviously on one side?' asked MP Andreas Schieder of the opposition Social Democrats (SPOe).

SPOe MEP Evelyn Regner said the invite sent a 'shameful' image of Austria to its EU partners, branding it 'a provocation of European proportions'.

The Greens called for Kneissl's resignation, pointing out that 'Vladimir Putin is the EU's most aggressive enemy in matters of foreign policy'.

Yet the foreign ministry insisted that Putin's visit 'will not change anything in terms of Austria's foreign policy positions'.

However Putin's attendance was originally described as a 'private event' by Kneissl's office but has since been upgraded to a 'working visit'.

FPOe Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache is also at the ceremony.

Putin headed to talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel near Berlin on Saturday evening following the ceremony.

Topics during the bilateral talks included Ukraine, Syria and the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that the United States and some European countries object to. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the International Arctic Forum in Arkhangelsk, Russia. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

ARKHANGELSK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet U.S. president Donald Trump at an Arctic summit in Finland.

Russian president made this remark responding to his Finnish counterpart, who said he would be happy to receive Russian and U.S. presidents in Finland.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts an invitation to visit Sudan from Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.