Russia has made a fundamental decision to reopen the consulate in Benghazi in eastern Libya, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian Presidential Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, told TASS on Tuesday.
"It has been decided to resume our work in Benghazi and reopen the consulate general of our country in Benghazi, which worked until 1992," he said. - "We consider it very important and relevant to work throughout Libya and restore the presence that we had before the collapse of the Soviet Union."
Bogdanov said that a Russian ambassador to Libya will be appointed in the near future. "Our advance team is in Tripoli, it came in advance to see how to set up the work of our embassy. I think our new ambassador to Libya will be appointed in the very near future. And those employees who were temporarily on Tunisian territory will return to Tripoli," said the diplomat.
On October 2, 2013, the Russian embassy in Tripoli was attacked. The attackers managed to break into the premises of the diplomatic mission, and then they were pushed out by Libyan army units. None of the Russians were injured. The Libyan authorities admitted at the time that they could not guarantee the diplomats' safety, after which a decision to evacuate them was made.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS