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The talks began with the leaders’ conversation in a restricted format and proceeded with the participation of the two countries’ delegations.

Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel discussed bilateral cooperation and current issues on the international agenda: the situation in Syria, Libya, escalating tensions in the Middle East and the settlement of the intra-Ukrainian conflict in the context of implementing the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures and the agreements reached at the Normandy format summit in Paris on December 9, 2019.

Following the international consultations, the President of Russia and the Federal Chancellor of Germany made statements for the press and answered journalists’ questions.

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The beginning of Russian-German talks in a restricted format

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Madam Federal Chancellor,

Allow me to heartily welcome you in the Moscow Kremlin.

You and I maintain regular contacts and are dealing with both bilateral affairs – economic and political – and foreign matters.

I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation and coming here to discuss all these issues; I believe we will focus today on the most pressing ones.

Once again, welcome.

Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel: (retranslated): Thank you so much for your invitation to come to Moscow.

This is quite true, there is an entire range of various topics that we would like to discuss, including both bilateral affairs and international matters that are of interest to our countries: developments in Libya and Syria, the Minsk process and some bilateral issues, as I have said.

I am looking forward to speaking with you and to our talks. I appreciate this invitation and the opportunity to come here because I am of the opinion that it is better to talk to each other rather than to talk about one another.

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