Putin to take part in Berlin conference on Libya

Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the Berlin conference on Libya on Jan.19, the Kremlin announced on Friday.

Putin will take part in exchange of views on the problems of the Libyan settlement, including the establishment of a sustainable cease-fire and launch of a political dialogue under the UN auspices, the Kremlin said in a statement on its official website.

“Key agreement will be written down in the final document of the conference,” it said.

On Jan. 12, the warring sides of the Libyan conflict announced a cease-fire in response to a joint call by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But talks for a permanent cease-fire deal ended without an agreement on Monday after Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal.

Germany seeks to bring conflict parties and countries concerned with the Libyan issue at the Berlin conference in an attempt to reach a permanent cease-fire and to pave the way for a political solution to the conflict.

Since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the other in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.