Russia backs immediate Libyan ceasefire & talks, Lavrov tells Haftar ally in phone call

Moscow backs an immediate ceasefire and political talks in Libya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. He made the statement during a phone call with Aguila Saleh Issa, speaker of eastern Libyan House of Representatives, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Issa is aligned to General Khalifa Haftar who controls eastern Libya and opposes the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

During the conversation, Lavrov supported the speaker’s initiative which was announced on April 23. That plan proposed “an immediate ceasefire and stepping up inter-Libyan talks with the aim of developing compromise solutions to existing problems and forming united governing authorities.”