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Published 19:21 IST, January 19th 2020

Putin and Erdogan comment during talks in Berlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday hailed their countries' cooperation on the issues of Syria and Libya.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday hailed their countries' cooperation on the issues of Syria and Libya.

They were meeting on the sidelines of a conference on Libya in Berlin, where Germany is bringing together the key players in Libya's long-running civil war in a bid to curb foreign military meddling, solidify a cease-fire and help relaunch a political process to determine the North African nation's future.

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On Syria, Putin said both Syrian sides in the conflict "have taken notice" of Russia and Turkey calling for a cease-fire, adding that "large-scale military operations have stopped".

On Libya, Erdogan said "our joint efforts have established relative peace in the field".

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He added: "Accepting the cease-fire and a return to the political process must be ensured at the Berlin summit."

Among those attending are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

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The chances of the summit producing any real progress are unclear, however.

While getting the players to the table is an achievement, recent stepped-up outside support may have emboldened both sides not to compromise.

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19:21 IST, January 19th 2020