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BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi next Tuesday to prepare the upcoming G20 summit in July and discuss geopolitical conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, a German government spokesman said on Friday.

"The visit serves the preparation of this year's G20 summit in Hamburg," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said during a regular news conference.

"In addition to the G20 issue, other current foreign policy challenges will also be discussed, such as the Ukraine conflict or the war in Syria," he added.

Seibert said that Merkel and Putin would give a press conference between two rounds of meetings in Sochi.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Victoria Bryan)

UNITED NATIONS U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned on Friday that failure to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to 'catastrophic consequences,' while China and Russia rebuked Washington's threat of military force.

CHATELLERAULT, France French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron launched a scathing attack on Friday against politicians who have failed to endorse him against far-right rival Marine Le Pen, saying they were making France "morally weak" and pandering to extremists.

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Merkel, Putin to discuss G20, Syria, Ukraine in Sochi on Tuesday - Reuters