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Conflict in Syria

UN does not rule out that militants from Syria may be sent to fight in Libya

United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has called on Russia and the United States to continue dialogue on Syria

Geir Pedersen Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Geir Pedersen

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

UNITED NATIONS, May 18. /TASS/. Militants from Syria are sent to Libya to fight on both sides of the conflict in that country, United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said at an online UN Security Council meeting on Monday.

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Russia does not approve Haftar’s statement on transfer of power in Libya to LNA — Lavrov

"Let us also remember that Syria’s instability reverberates elsewhere too — including as far as Libya, given reports of fighters being recruited in Syria in large numbers and sent to fight on both sides of that conflict," he said.

Currently, Libya has two supreme executive authorities, namely the internationally-recognized Tripoli-based Government of National Accord headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the interim government of Abdullah al-Thani, seated in the east of the country, along with the elected parliament, which is supported by the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

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Accusations of Russia’s alleged crimes in Syria are part of media war, says UN envoy

The conflicting parties have been fighting to gain control of the capital city for more than a year after Haftar launched an offensive in early April 2019 to liberate the city, as he put it.

Russia-US dialogue on Syria

The UN secretary general’s special envoy has called on Russia and the United States to continue dialogue on Syria.

"I want to stress that renewed and meaningful international cooperation, building trust and confidence between international stakeholders and with Syrians, including through reciprocal measures, is essential and could unlock progress," Pedersen stated.

"I believe that Russian-American dialogue has a key role to play here, and I encourage them to pursue it," he said, adding that the Astana format (Russia, Iran and Turkey) and the so-called Small Group on Syria (the United Kingdom, Germany, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United States and France) should ultimately pool their efforts under the United Nations auspices.

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Syrian conflict

Middle East conflict

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