Algeria and Russia demand immediate ceasefire and political dialogue for Libya
The foreign ministers of Algeria and Russia, Sabri Boukadoum and Sergei Lavrov, urged an immediate ceasefire in Libya on Wednesday as a prelude to a dialogue between the UN-recognised Tripoli National Accord Government (GNA) and the Tobruk Parliament, which is overseen by Khalifa Haftar. "An immediate ceasefire must be decreed and we must immediately strive to re-establish political dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and bring peace to all regions of Libya without exception," the head of Algerian diplomacy said at a press conference after meeting with Lavrov.
Lavrov said that Russia was talking to both sides in the conflict in Libya, to neighbouring countries and to "other external actors" in order to achieve "an immediate cessation of hostilities". "Not as the end of our efforts, but as a stage that must immediately be followed by dialogue for a political solution that takes into account all the Libyan regions," he added.
In Lavrov's view, the existence of a government in Tripoli and a parliament in Tobruk only aggravates the situation in the country. "As long as this dichotomy remains, there will always be a risk that external actors will bet on one side or the other. And what is needed is to bring all Libyans together and help them reach compromises based on a balance of interests for all," he said.
The Algerian minister stressed that his country's position coincides with that reached at the Berlin Conference in January, as it seeks to encourage the participation of all of Libya's neighbours, for which it has held talks with Tunisia, Egypt and other countries. Boukadoum said he agreed with his Russian counterpart to create bilateral mechanisms to seek a solution to the Libyan conflict by promoting political dialogue in the African nation.
Just this Wednesday, Moscow and Ankara reached an agreement at a meeting of deputy foreign ministers with the same purpose: to study the creation of a joint working group on Libya, which should hold the first round of talks in the Russian capital, according to the department headed by Lavrov. In this regard, Russia and Turkey will seek to create conditions for a permanent ceasefire in the African nation and promote political dialogue in line with the decisions adopted at the Berlin Conference.
Turkey supports forces and militias loyal to the GNA that are facing the Libyan National Army (LNA) of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, which supports the Tobruk Parliament and is in turn supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.
