After Syria, Russia says it was invited by Libya to broker political dialogue
The member of the UN-backed Government of National Accord and Deputy Head of its Presidential Council, Ahmed Mitig, said Libya welcomes Russian initiatives to establish grounds for a dialogue among the conflicting political parties.
Russia’s Sputnik reported Wednesday that Mitig said Russia’s works with all conflict parties in Libya is in a ” balanced position” and the GNA welcomes any initiatives the Russian country would propose to end Libya’s crisis.
“The Presidential Council welcomes any Russian initiative for national reconciliation in Libya, as the Russian Federation has a balanced position and good relations with all parties. We call on Russia to conduct its diplomacy to convince other sides to accept a political agreement, under which their signatures were put, and to engage in the political process,” Mitig told Sputnik.
In 2016, the Speaker of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, Agilah Saleh, and the leader of the eastern forces of Operation Dignity, Khalifa Haftar, both visited Moscow and met with top officials and ministers for support of their self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.
Russia expressed a couple of time desire to take up Khlaifa Haftar as Libya’s “Bashar Al-Assad double”. It wanted to make him Libya’s strongman and therefore support him as it did in Syria.
Both Khalifa Haftar and Aqilah Saleh have rejected to acknowledge the GNA as the legitimate government in Libya, despite the fact that the GNA is brokered and backed by the international community including Russia.
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