Russia is ready to cooperate with the United Nations and the African Union to forge a political solution to the Libyan crisis, the Russian president’s envoy to Africa said on Tuesday.
“Russia is set to work jointly with the African Union and the UN to alleviate the Libyan crisis, to end the fighting and kick-start a political dialog,” said Mikhail Margelov, who also heads the Federation Council’s international affairs committee.
He said the African Union may play a major role in the Libyan crisis settlement, as the organization is “equally acceptable” as a negotiation partner for both sides of the conflict.
Margelov also urged those “interested in an independent, undivided and modernized Libya without dictators and authoritarian rules” to engage in political dialog.
The Russian president’s envoy said he will travel to Equatorial Guinea to attend Thursday’s meeting on Libya of the African Union and meet with the Libyan delegation. He will also take part in another high-profile international meeting on the issue, scheduled for July 9 in South Sudan.
Thousands of people have died in the five-months-long conflict in Libya, and more than 650,000 people have been displaced.