Russia is in favor of the gradual withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya, but it must take place so as not to upset the balance of forces in the country, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the world organization, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said on Thursday at a UN Security Council meeting on the Libyan settlement.
"We are in favor of the gradual and synchronized withdrawal of all foreign forces from Libya," he said. - "We must see to it that the current balance of forces on the ground is not disturbed, due to which the country remains calm and there is no threat of a new armed escalation".
The diplomat added that on the whole, Russia is cautiously optimistic about the situation in Libya. "The opposing sides began to gradually overcome mutual distrust," he noted.
According to Polyanskiy, the main task now facing the Libyan sides is to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within the established timeframe, which will require certain compromises. "The success of this process will directly depend on the degree of inclusiveness and transparency of the political process as a whole. This implies the involvement of all players and political forces of the country, representatives of all regions, as well as representatives of the former authorities," he pointed out.
No state has officially recognized the presence of its armed forces in Libya or their participation in hostilities. Only the Turkish Parliament has given a mandate to the executive branch to send troops to the North African country. Moscow has repeatedly been accused of sending some "Russian mercenaries" to Libya, but it has consistently denied such allegations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma \ TASS
Based on materials from TASS