MOSCOW, July 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Munich to discuss bilateral trade, economic cooperation, and energy security, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

"This time the emphasis will be on fuel and energy cooperation, and discussions on large investment projects. Today, in light of the global financial crisis, it is important for us to maintain a high level of trade with Germany, and to keep up contacts in the spheres of science, education and health," presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.

The leaders' energy talks will focus on natural gas supplies from Russia to the European Union.

"In particular, the discussions will focus on the political aspects of implementing a project of is strategic importance not only for Russia and Germany, but for the whole Europe, which is the Nord Stream [gas pipeline project]; another theme concerns uninterrupted supplies of Russian gas to the European Union via Ukraine," Prikhodko said.

Several EU states have expressed concerns over their increasing energy dependence on Russia, which supplies a quarter of the 27-nation bloc's gas demand. Calls for diversified supplies intensified following the latest price dispute between Russia and Ukraine in early 2009, when Moscow cut off gas to Ukraine, affecting consumers across Europe.

Prikhodko said Medvedev and Merkel will discuss relations between Russia and NATO, the situation in Afghanistan, and the North Korean nuclear issue, and are likely to discuss counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia.