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Leaders at the G8 summit in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, are close to signing a joint statement on Syria, despite their differences.

Russia and the US are backing opposite sides in the conflict, but officials say the statement could soon be agreed.

This could include the proposed peace conference in Geneva, and more access for deliveries of humanitarian aid.

The summit, which is now in its final day, is also discussing tax evasion and efforts to boost trade.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would sign up to the statement on Syria later on Tuesday.

But he stressed the Kremlin wanted each of the Syrian sides in the talks to select not only their own delegations but the future terms of any transitional government.

Sergei Ryabkov sidestepped the question of whether this could leave open a role for President Bashar al-Assad in the future.

Leaders at the G8 summit in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, are close to signing a joint statement on Syria, despite their differences

Leaders at the G8 summit in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, are close to signing a joint statement on Syria, despite their differences

To try to get as much consensus as possible on Syria, UK Prime Minister David Cameron – who is hosting the summit – held a working dinner on Monday night.

The leaders were alone, with no officials present, allowing them to express their views frankly.

After the meeting, British officials appeared more optimistic that an agreement could be reached on the joint statement on Syria.

However, they said it would take more work to agree the precise language.

Earlier on Monday, the British had raised the possibility of the other G8 nations issuing an end-of-conference statement without the participation of Russia.

But it now seems that Vladimir Putin is willing to consider some kind of joint stance, according to officials.

The communiqué is likely to back the launch of Syrian peace negotiations in Geneva, and insist that humanitarian aid agencies like the Red Cross are given access to all parts of the country.

Any statement which emerges may not be all that ambitious, correspondents warn – and even then, it is far from certain that any agreement will change the appalling reality in Syria itself.

The White House announced last week that it would provide military aid to the Syrian rebels. Russia meanwhile supplies weapons to the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin met for an hour of bilateral talks on Monday, and at a sombre press conference afterwards it was clear they had had a difficult exchange.

Both presidents acknowledged their differences but said they shared a common desire to stop the bloodshed.

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President Vladimir Putin has told President Barack Obama that he will not attend the G8 summit in the US later this month.

Vladimir Putin, who was inaugurated as President this week after an absence of four years, told US officials he was busy finalizing his cabinet.

Russian president will send the outgoing president, Dmitry Medvedev, who replaces him as prime minister, instead.

The two presidents will now hold talks at the G20 meeting in Mexico in June.

Earlier this week, Washington criticized the Russian police response to anti-Putin rallies in Moscow.

A State Department spokesman said the US was “disturbed” by the “mistreatment” of peaceful protesters.

Organizers said 20,000 people took part in a protest on Sunday against Vladimir Putin’s inauguration, though police put the figure at 8,000.

President Vladimir Putin has told President Barack Obama that he will not attend the G8 summit in the US later this month

President Vladimir Putin has told President Barack Obama that he will not attend the G8 summit in the US later this month

In a statement, the White House said President Vladimir Putin “expressed his regret” to President Barack Obama by phone.

The US and Russian leaders will meet during the G20 summit in Mexico in June.

“The two presidents reiterated their interest in the sustained high-level dialogue that has characterized the reset of relations and the substantial progress of the last three years,” the statement said.

The US is hosting the G8 summit of seven of the world’s most industrialized nations, and Russia, at Camp David on 18-19 May.

It was widely expected that Vladimir Putin would use the event to mark his return to the world stage.

It is not clear whether his decision not to attend is a deliberate snub to the US, following criticism of the Russian election process.

It also highlights growing tensions between the two nations over the US missile defense plans in eastern Europe.