Senior Russian diplomat, UN envoy discuss preparations for elections in Libya

MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Libya Jan Kubis discussed preparations for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in that country over the phone on Monday. "An array of issues related to facilitating the Libyan settlement process in accordance with the decisions of the Berlin Conference and UN Security Council Resolutions 2510 and 2570 was discussed in detail. At the same time, special attention was paid to preparations for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya scheduled to be held on December 24, including the development of the necessary legislative framework," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to the Foreign Ministry, the parties also expressed support for the activities of the "5+5" military committee in Geneva, which includes five military officers representing the Government of National Accord and another five from the Libyan National Army, "with an eye to uniting all Libyan armed forces." "[They] agreed to continue close coordination of efforts with the UN’s key role to facilitate an inclusive and constructive dialogue involving all influential political actors in Libya without exception in the interests of ensuring the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Libyan state," the ministry said. On October 23, 2020, members of the "5+5" committee signed an agreement on a permanent ceasefire in Geneva. As a result, in early February, Prime Minister of the unified government Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and three members of the Presidential Council were elected after the UN-brokered talks. They were sworn in on March 15. Their major task is the unification of government bodies across the country and preparations for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya scheduled to be held on December 24, 2021. Read more