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Haftar says he is ready to adhere to Libya ceasefire — German top diplomat

On Monday, representatives of the parties to the conflict arrived in Moscow for talks after which GNA envoys signed a ceasefire agreement while LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar left Moscow without inking the deal

Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar EPA/MOHAMMED ELSHAIKY

Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar

© EPA/MOHAMMED ELSHAIKY

BERLIN, January 16. /TASS/. Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar stated that he is ready to adhere to the ceasefire in the country, planning to take part in the conference on Libyan regulation set to take place on January 19 in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated on Thursday in Benghazi.

"He promised to adhere to the ceasefire, despite not signing the ceasefire agreement in Moscow earlier this week. This is very important," DPA news agency quotes the minister as saying. Maas held three-hour-long talks with Haftar, the message notes.

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German government unsure if Haftar and al-Sarraj will attend Berlin conference

"General Haftar has signaled his readiness to contribute to the success of the Libya Conference in Berlin and is willing to participate. He has repeated his commitment to observe the existing ceasefire," the German Foreign Ministry quoted Maas on Twitter.

Libya regulation

On January 12, a ceasefire in Libya proposed by Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a larger initiative to achieve peace in the country entered into force at midnight. The ceasefire’s objective is to stop hostilities between the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) sitting in Tripoli.

On Monday, representatives of the parties to the conflict arrived in Moscow for talks after which GNA envoys signed a ceasefire agreement. Haftar took a pause to study the agreement. However, later he left Moscow without putting his signature under the document, Arab media outlets reported.

The international conference on Libya will take place on January 19 in Berlin. The German government’s press service informed on Tuesday that Russia, the US, China, the UK, Italy, France, Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of the Congo, along with representatives of the UN, the EU, the African Union and the Arab League are set to take part in the conference. Haftar and al-Sarraj have confirmed their participation in the conference earlier on Thursday.

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