File Photo: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen as they pose for a photo at the start of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium July 11, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The White House said here on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over phone and discussed issues related to Syria, U.S.-Europe relations and trade.

According to a statement issued by White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders, earlier in the same day, Trump and Merkel discussed the resolution of the Syrian crisis and how to improve the economic relations between the U.S. side and Europe.

"Both leaders called for international action to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Idlib Province (in Syria), and for renewed efforts to solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine," the statement read.

Trump and Merkel "strongly supported ongoing discussions between Washington and Brussels to remove barriers to a deeper trading relationship," the statement added without giving details.

Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed on July 25 to mitigate the transatlantic trade tensions over Washington-launched tariffs.

However, the two sides have so far failed to patch up ties strained over U.S. tariffs on the EU's cars, steel and aluminum.

The U.S.-Europe relationship has also been overshadowed by their differences on the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord, the status of Jerusalem and the defense spending, among other issues.

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