German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a news conference at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 17, 2018. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

SOFIA (Reuters) - All European Union member states still back the Iran nuclear deal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, adding that they would continue to talk to Washington about the issue after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the agreement.

“All member European Union states are still backing this agreement, despite the fact the United States has decided not to, and we will continue talks with the United States,” she told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU leaders in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

Merkel said her planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday was not linked to EU problems with Trump.