Putin to attend Libya peace conference

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a peace conference on Libya in Germany on Sunday, as world powers step up efforts to find a lasting ceasefire.

Ahead of the peace conference Libya´s military strongman Khalifa Haftar, who Moscow is accused of supporting in Libya´s conflict, thanked Putin for his peace efforts, the Kremlin said.

"On January 19 Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Berlin to take part in the International conference on Libya," the Kremlin said. The peace talks in Berlin will focus on stopping the fighting and launching a "broad political dialogue" under the auspices of the United Nations, the Kremlin added in a statement.

Libya has been in turmoil since dictator Moamer Qaddafi was killed in a 2011 Nato-backed uprising. Last April, an assault on Tripoli by military strongman Khalifa Haftar´s forces sparked fighting that has killed more than 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters, displacing thousands. In another statement, the Russian presidential administration said Haftar had thanked Putin for his efforts to end fighting in the war-ravaged country.

"Vladimir Putin, my dear friend!" Haftar said in a letter to Putin, quoted by the Kremlin. "I express my personal gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of the Russian Federation to bring about peace and stability in Libya," Haftar was quoted as saying.