Merkel presses German federation over 2006 World Cup

Ms Merkel and Mr Turnbull, review an honour guard during a welcoming ceremony.

From left, Senator Mathias Cormann, German State Minister Maria Boehmer, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Lucy Turnbull and German politician Volkmar Klein present a report written by the German-Australian Advisory Board at the Chancellery.

Mr Schäuble, 73, is regarded as the most likely replacement for the German chancellor if she is forced out by her party’s plummeting ratings and his comments added fuel to conspiracy theorists in Berlin.

Infighting in Merkel’s ruling coalition and a unilateral decision by her interior minister on asylum policy have raised questions about the chancellor’s leadership, although coalition sources have dismissed speculation of a “putsch” against her. She added with a slight laugh, “I am available for voters for this legislative period”.

“Each country faces different circumstances, not least of which are geographic”, Turnbull said. “I think this is a matter for the German government as it is for the Australian government to manage in their own way”.

In the evening, there will also be a high-level meeting of conservatives from Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

The Germans are competing against the French and the Japanese for the lucrative contract and Mr Turnbull intends discussing it with the leaders of all three nations during his time overseas.

Merkel avoided any direct response to the Abbott remarks, but in general commentary about the current flow of refugees, she said right now, the narrow sea lane between Turkey and Greece was under the control of smugglers and traffickers, and this was “unacceptable”.

The document contains a number of recommendations for strengthening business and strategic ties between the two countries.

The two had previously met when the German chancellor visited Australia for the G20, including a visit with Mr Turnbull to the Nicta information technology research centre in Sydney.

It has since merged with the CSIRO and, as The Australian Financial Review revealed Thursday, next month’s Innovation Statement will partially reverse the funding cut.

“You asked me about Mr Putin and Mr Obama in terms of Syria, the one thing that is perfectly clear there and perhaps I’d leave the rest of this to the Chancellor but one thing that is perfectly clear in Syria, that the solution will ultimately be a political one”, he said.