Libyan Parl't Speaker Praises Russia's Role in African State Crisis Settlement

AL QUBAH (Libya) (Sputnik) - Russia has contributed to the Libyan crisis settlement, the speaker of the Tobruk-based parliament told Sputnik on Saturday.

"We see that Russia's role assists in the reconciliation between the Libyans," Aguila Saleh Issa said.

The parliament speaker noted that Russia also provided the necessary military training for the Libyan National Army and shared its expertise with the servicemen.

READ MORE: Germany Liquidates All Chemical Weapons Delivered From Libya

On December 22, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held talks with Mohammed Dairi, the foreign minister of Libya's eastern-based interim government, and confirmed Russia's readiness to promote the political process in Libya while holding contacts with various representatives of Libyan political forces.

Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 civil war that resulted in the overturn of country’s longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The eastern part of the crisis-torn state is governed by its parliament, with headquarters in the city of Tobruk. The parliament is backed by the Libyan National Army. At the same time, the Government of National Accord, headed by Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.