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Middle East and North Africa

Russia wants to resume cooperation with Libya – deputy foreign minister

“We stand for resuming cooperation with Libya,” he said

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, March 16 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia wants to resume cooperation with Libya and is optimistic about the future of bilateral relations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and presidential Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov told a briefing on Friday.

“We stand for resuming cooperation with Libya,” he said. “We are optimistic about future relations.” He also reminded that some time ago Russia had appointed a new ambassador in Tripoli, who will soon take his office.

“Moscow closely watches the situation in Libya,” Bogdanov added. Libya’s new authorities, according to the Russian diplomat, are taking effort to promote a political dialogue, but “the situation has not yet stabilized, with certain difficulties in the area of security.”

He called on the Libyan leaders to show a wise approach to autonomy claims from some of Libya’s regions.

At the same time, he voiced concern over incidents of repression towards officials from Libya’s former regime, torches and murders. “Such reports require special consideration,” he noted. H also drew attention to the problem of arms trafficking from Libya, which, in his words, only “augments terrorist risks.”

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