German Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting Algeria to promote bilateral ties and discuss migration and the situation in neighbouring Libya.

The high-point of Monday’s one-day visit is her meeting with Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 81, who is partially paralyzed from a stroke and is rarely seen.

The chancellor is also billed to meet Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia during the one-day trip. Merkel is expected to address the long-standing conflict between Algeria and its western neighbour, Morocco. She will also hold discussions with representatives of civil society.

Algeria is a major transit route for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.The German government is under domestic pressure to cut migration.