German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko held a phone call on Monday to discuss humanitarian aid for refugees and migrants stranded at the EU-Belarus border, a German government spokesperson said.

"The Chancellor and Mr. Lukashenko spoke about the difficult situation on the border between Belarus and the European Union - especially about the need for humanitarian aid for the refugees and migrants there," spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement, adding that both agreed to continue their exchange on these issues.