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Putin, Erdogan discuss cooperation in returning Russians home from Turkey

So far, 825,031 people have returned to Russia since March 11, while authorities are expecting another 20,000 arrivals

MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan have had a phone call to inform each other about the measures undertaken to curb spread of the coronavirus pandemic and hashed over cooperation in bringing Russians currently stranded in Turkey back home, the Kremlin press service said Wednesday.

"The situation emerged amid the coronavirus pandemic spread was considered. The leaders informed each other about the measures taken to fight the infection. Particular attention was placed on the cooperation in bringing home Russian citizens staying in Turkey," the statement says.

The Turkish leader’s office issued a communique, saying, "the talks discussed issues of cooperation to fight coronavirus."

Putin earlier noted that many Russians, including those permanently residing abroad, are returning to Russia amid the pandemic. According to him, 825,031 people have returned to Russia since March 11, while authorities are expecting another 20,000 arrivals.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in more than 160 countries, including Russia

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, more than 850,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 42,000 deaths have been reported.

So far, a total of 2,777 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 190 patients having recovered from the illness. The country’s latest data indicates 24 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public informed about the coronavirus situation.

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Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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