Mikhail Margelov, the Russian presidential envoy to Africa, is holding talks on Thursday with top representatives of Col. Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle in the country's capital of Tripoli.
Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi and Foreign Minister Abdel Ati Al-Obeidi are meeting with Margelov to discuss ways out of the deepening political crisis in the North African country.
Margelov told journalists ahead of the talks that he did not know whether he will be able to meet with Gaddafi.
"I have arranged a meeting with the prime minister and the Foreign Ministry head, but if the colonel [Gaddafi] will show willingness to meet with me, I have something to tell him," he said.
Margelov said he was going to remind Gaddafi about an Arab tradition of reconciliation and examples when a former leader continued to live in his country after being overturned, as has happened in Algeria.
"Therefore if Gaddafi is ready to begin a process of national reconciliation, then various variants of his fate can be discussed," he added.
Last week, Margelov, who is also chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian parliament's upper house, visited the Libyan opposition stronghold city of Benghazi where he held talks with the leaders of the Transitional National Council (TNC).
The Russian presidential envoy expressed hope last week that he would be able to present a "road map" for resolving the four-month-old conflict in Libya following his talks with both the opposition and Gaddafi's representatives.
Russia will help resolve humanitarian problems triggered by the Libyan unrest, Margelov told journalists on Thursday.
"We have heard requests to provide humanitarian assistance in Benghazi; we understand that humanitarian aid is needed in this part of the country," he said.
When asked to share his opinion about how long the NATO military operation in Libya may last, Margelov said: "If the colonel [Gaddafi] says that he is stepping down and is ready for a political process [aimed at resolving the crisis], these [military] actions can stop very soon."
On June 1, NATO announced that it was extending its mission in Libya for another 90 days to late September.
Gaddafi, who has ruled oil-rich Libya for over 40 years, vowed last week not to surrender despite deadly NATO air raids on his compound in Tripoli and other military targets, calling NATO's help to the rebels an act of "colonial aggression" aimed at grabbing the country's oil reserves.
