The Libyan Parliament-designated Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha said his government was hoping to improve bilateral ties with Russia.
In an interview with Russia’s news agency, Sputnik, the Libyan PM said that “relations between Moscow and his cabinet are yet to reach the desired level. We hope that these ties will further be strengthened, and that new horizons for our relations and diplomatic exchange will be opened. The fact that Libya is currently ruled by two rival governments affects the way many countries are looking at the situation in Libya.”
Bashagha added that the current power split, and the existence of two governments “will hinder any elections set to take place in the country.”
He promised to “work diligently with national and international parties that believe in democracy, unity, the unification of institutions, and the restoration of security in order to hold fair and transparent elections.”
Last month, a delegation from the Libyan Parliament, headed by the Second Deputy Speaker, Abdel-Hadi Al-Saghir met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Representative of the President of Russia for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov.
The meeting was attended by the Russian President’s Envoy to Libya, and the former and current ambassadors of Russia to Libya.
The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow. They exchanged views on the current situation in Libya, according to the l Libyan Parliament’s Spokesman, Abdullah Blaiheg.
The parties focused on the issues surrounding a comprehensive settlement of the Libyan crisis. They stressed the need to “continue strengthening the constructive national dialogue, with the participation of all political forces in order to ensure the unity and sovereignty of the Libyan state.”
The meeting also discussed a number of issues related to the further development of Libyan-Russian relations, including international parliamentary contacts.
Earlier in March, Bogdanov announced that Russia’s Ambassador to Libya, Aydar Aganin will head to Tripoli, where the Russian diplomatic mission intends to resume its work.
He added that Moscow is “counting on ensuring the security of its diplomatic mission in Libya.”
“The Ambassador of the Russian Federation will go to Libya.” He added that they consider the matter an important priority, according to the TASS news agency.
