Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives (HOF, elected permanent parliament) Aguila Saleh expects the presidential election to be held at the end of next year. He said this at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, a video recording of which is available on the website of the diplomatic mission.
"As for the elections, including the election of the head of the Libyan state, they will hopefully be held in late 2021. Now it is only necessary to reach a consensus, an agreement between the opposing parties so that each side would ensure stability and a calm situation in their region, and then we will all agree. We are, of course, determined to force this process and provide new power without delay," Saleh said.
He said the situation in Libya had started to improve. "There are flights between the west and the east of [the country], oil is being exported and traffic is better established between the west and the east. That's why we have no other choice but to form authorities in the near future to unite state structures and protect the rights of our compatriots. This is our only choice," Saleh stressed.
According to him, the HP expected that at the recently held Forum of Political Dialogue in Tunisia the process of forming new bodies would be completed, but "there was interference by those who did not want Libya out of the crisis, which slowed down the process".
Two-way communication
At the same time, the Parliament Speaker praised Russia's role in resolving the Libyan crisis and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting bilateral relations. "For our part, Mr. Minister, we confirm to you our commitment to what we have stated, including the full commitment to the development of Russian-Libyan relations. We absolutely assure you that we will ensure the safety of Russian interests in Libya. We have a historical relationship, we confirm that this relationship will continue and we will continue to preserve it," Saleh added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS