German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin have an informal chat outside on a balcony before before talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, June 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Moscow has been under pressure from western countries to harden its position on the conflict in Syria. Several European countries expelled Syrian diplomats from their countries after the recent killings of civilians in the central Syrian town of Houla.

The Syrian government categorically denied involvement in the massacre and blamed armed groups of carrying out the killings to tarnish the Syrian administration and call in foreign military intervention.

Despite the booming trade and common views over Syria, some analysts argued that the relationship has fared less well than it seemed.

"Russia and its stance towards the Assad regime plays a key role in the Syrian crisis," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was quoted as saying by German newspaper Die Welt on Friday.

Besides, during her discussion with Putin on Friday, Merkel also pressed Putin to further develop "democratic diversity" in Russia society.

"I made clear on my part that we have every interest in democratic diversity in Russia being able to develop further, because it is only that way that a truly robust civil society can arise which supports the development of the country," said Merkel, but the comment didn't receive respond from Putin.

German newspaper Die Welt commented that Putin's very short stay in Berlin has showed Germany's weight in Russia's diplomatic parameters has been shrinking.

Germany-Russia relations could hardly be back to the honey-moon period when Gerhard Schroder was the Chancellor, the report added.

Putin has put emerging powers in east, rather than western countries, as his priority in foreign policy as he refused to attend the G8 summit in Camp David in May, and was absent from the NATO summit in Chicago a few days later.

Europe as well as other western countries would receive less focus from Russia in Putin's new term, Deutsche Welle reported.