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Russian defense minister, Libyan National Army commander discuss situation in North Africa

On August 14, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a meeting with Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar

MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. The situation in North Africa, including in Libya, was in focus of a meeting between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and visiting Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar, the Russian defense ministry said on Monday.

"On August 14, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has a meeting with Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar, who is on a working visit to Moscow. Basic attention was focused on the developments in North Africa with a focus on the situation in Libya," the ministry said.

The sides stressed the importance of their dialogue and agreed to continue contacts, the ministry added.

Earlier in the day, the visiting Libyan General met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Haftar, who supports Libya’s House of Representatives (the country’s permanent legislature seated in Tobruk, in the east of Libya), has already visited the Russian capital. The Libyan National Army currently controls vast territories in the east and southeast of the country. In early July, the Libyan National Army liberated from terrorists the country’s second largest city of Benghazi (some 1,000 kilometers away from Tripoli) and launched an operation to drive militants from the city of Derna, the only city they still control in the east of the country.

On July 25, Haftar held talks with the chief of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj. The sides agreed to impose a ceasefire and to organize elections in Libya as soon as possible.