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Gaddafi’s son calls on Russia to support initiatives to resolve Libyan issue

Saif al-Islamn believes that national reconciliation dialogue involving all the warring parties and transparent elections are necessary to overcome the crisis

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi AP Photo/Ben Curtis

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

© AP Photo/Ben Curtis

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. Saif al-Islam, the son of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, has called on Russia to support a plan to resolve the Libyan issue, the Al-Arabiya TV channel reported on Thursday, citing Saif al-Islam’s envoy who visited Moscow earlier in the week as part of a Libyan delegation.

The delegation’s members held meetings with Russian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, to discuss the situation in Libya, ways to resolve the crisis and clarify Saif al-Islam’s position.

According to the envoy, the former Libyan leader’s son believes that national reconciliation dialogue involving all the warring parties and transparent elections are necessary in order to overcome the crisis. Saif al-Islam also supports a roadmap initiated by United Nations Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame.

Another delegation member said that one of their goals was to persuade Russia to take part in a national conference Salame mentioned at a United Nations Security Council meeting. He added that Saif al-Islam’s letter, handed over to the Russian Foreign Ministry, contained initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis in Libya.

Libyan crisis

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has not made public appearances since he was released from jail in June 2017.

There currently are two governments in Libya - the Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, based in the city of Tripoli, and a cabinet based in the country’s east, which has the support of the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The parties have so far been unable to make a political agreement to resolve the crisis.

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