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Libyan deputy premier to visit Russia on Sunday - press service

The deputy premier is set to discuss, among other things, the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, as well as the delay of presidential and parliamentary elections in his country

CAIRO, January 16. /TASS/. First Deputy Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) Hussein al-Qatrani will pay an official visit to Russia, beginning on Sunday, the Libyan government’s press service told TASS.

"On Sunday, January 16, al-Qatrani will begin an official visit to Russia to continue until January 20," the press service said. "He is scheduled to meet with a number of officials, including the foreign minister and a deputy prime minister."

The deputy premier is set to discuss, among other things, the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, as well as the delay of presidential and parliamentary elections in his country.

Al-Qatrani is expected to be accompanied by Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun, Health Minister Ali Al-Zanati and Minister of Planning Kamal al-Hassi.

On December 22, 2021, Libya’s Election Commission officially announced that the December 24 presidential and parliamentary elections were postponed, recommending the parliament to hold the first round of the presidential election in one month, on January 24, 2022, citing flaws in legislation as the cause of postponement. The commission replied that the final decision on the matter is to be made by lawmakers. However, the parliament disagreed with the proposed one-month delay "for security reasons," and the new date of the polls remains unknown to date.

The decision to hold the elections on December 24 became one of the main results of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum held in Switzerland at the beginning of the year with the participation of the country’s prominent representatives. A new government and the Presidential Council were created in anticipation of the elections, however, a week prior to the scheduled date it became clear that the elections would not be held.

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