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Putin, Obama speeches to take centre stage at UN

28 Sep 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}      

Moscow (dpa) - Addresses by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama were set to take centre stage at the United Nations on Monday.

It is the Russian leader's first speech before the general assembly in a decade, and comes as Moscow's relations with the West have sunk to a low unprecendented since the Cold War.

Putin is expected to meet with Obama later in the day. The conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, two flashpoints in US-Russian ties, could be on the agenda. It has been nearly a year since they last met.

In his speech, Putin was expected to emphasize Russia's efforts to resolve the Syrian civil war and combat the Islamic State extremist group, contrasting it with the US-led military campaign in Iraq and Syria.

Moscow has hosted numerous Middle Eastern leaders in recent weeks as it builds its role a mediator in the Syrian conflict while simultaneously providing military support for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.