Russia: Gaddafi loyalists should participate in Libyan dialogue

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister has said that the different political forces in Libya, including supporters of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi, should participate in the national dialogue. Sergey Vershinin made his comment in an interview with Sputnik on Monday.

The Russian official added that the Libyan parties agreed during the sessions of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Tunisia to hold a general election in December this year. He stressed that Moscow’s position is based on the fact that the main responsibility regarding these important decisions lies with the Libyans themselves.

“These decisions must be placed within the framework of a national dialogue on the largest scale possible with the participation of Libyan political forces, including the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Khalifa Haftar and Gaddafi loyalists,” he explained. “In other words, if the vast majority of Libyans agree on the necessity to hold the election on that specific date, so be it.”

Vershinin stressed that the UN is required to play its role by providing available technical and organisational assistance while respecting Libya’s sovereignty.

READ: Is Libya heading in the wrong direction, with potential for another war?