Moscow Calls on Libyan Parties to Engage in Inclusive National Dialogue

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on all parties to the Libyan conflict on Thursday to engage in a full-fledged nationwide dialogue as it is the only way to achieve reconciliation in the country.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met with Fayez Sarraj, the prime minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) on the sidelines of the Arab League's 28th session in Jordan.

"The Russian side emphasized the necessity of establishing a full-fledged inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue in order to achieve sustainable agreements, which will lead the country out of the protracted political crisis. In this context, Moscow’s willingness to facilitate political process by arranging contacts between different Libyan forces was confirmed," the ministry said in a statement.

On March 20, Bogdanov told Sputnik that Moscow maintained dialogue with all major parties to the Libyan conflict, but did not support any particular party.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a civil war began in the country and its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown. The GNA, formed with the support from the United Nations and Europe, operates in the country’s west, including the Libyan capital of Tripoli. The eastern authorities act independently from the west, cooperating with the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar, which fights against the Islamic State (IS, outlawed in Russia) terrorist group. The country’s eastern regions are governed by the elected parliament headquartered in the city of Tobruk.