Deputies of the State Duma are ready to support Libyan parliamentarians in resolving the crisis in the country, as well as in combating the coronavirus pandemic, Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs told reporters.
On Wednesday, the State Duma held a meeting of Russian deputies with a delegation of the Libyan House of Representatives, headed by its speaker Aguila Saleh. "During the talks today, the State Duma touched upon the problems of the Libyan settlement and prospects for inter-parliamentary cooperation," Slutsky said.
"We support the elected parliament of Libya and are ready to assist in the post-conflict normalization of the situation in the country, including the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," the head of the committee said. - Deputies of the State Duma confirm their commitment to the decisions of the Berlin Conference on Libya and the UN resolution 2510 (2020), approving its results".
According to Slutsky, the State Duma deputies expressed deep respect for Saleh "for his efforts in resolving the intra-Libyan crisis by bringing together the opposing sides, as well as emphasized the need for a complete end to the bloodshed in the country and no alternative political dialogue. During the meeting, they also stressed mutual interest in resuming broad bilateral cooperation, including through mutual exchanges.
On the Russian side, in addition to Slutsky, the meeting was attended by First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Alexander Zhukov and Chairman of the Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov. Saleh arrived in Moscow at the invitation of the State Duma.
The situation in Libya
Two bodies of executive power have long existed in the country: the Government of National Accord (GNA) Faez Sarraj in Tripoli, together with his own Presidential Council (acting as Head of State) and the Pro-Islamist Higher Council of State (HSC, playing an exclusively advisory role), and the Eastern Cabinet, supported by the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS