The delegation of Libya's eastern-based parliament headed by Aguila Saleh will visit Russia at the beginning of July to discuss with the country's officials the recent developments in Libya, including the Cairo Initiative on a ceasefire between the country's warring parties, Second Deputy Speaker Ahmed Huma told Sputnik
BENGHAZI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th June, 2020) The delegation of Libya's eastern-based parliament headed by Aguila Saleh will visit Russia at the beginning of July to discuss with the country's officials the recent developments in Libya, including the Cairo Initiative on a ceasefire between the country's warring parties, Second Deputy Speaker Ahmed Huma told Sputnik.
On June 6, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi had a meeting with Saleh and the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. Following the talks, Sisi announced the so-called Cairo Initiative that outlined conditions of a political settlement in Libya and stipulated that a ceasefire be declared on June 8. The initiative was supported by Russia, the United States and several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while Turkey and its allied Government of National Accord (GNA) rejected it.
"Yes. There is an agreement that Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the House of Representatives, will visit the state of Russia at the beginning of July to discuss a number of issues, first of all, the Cairo Declaration, as well as outputs of the Berlin conference and the speaker's initiative to try to move this process forward to achieve a ceasefire and return to a military operation that means to support Russian efforts in this direction," Huma said, when asked if the parliament's delegation would visit Moscow.
The deputy also confirmed that there was an official invitation from the office of President Vladimir Putin.
For several years, Libya has been split between the two rival administrations, the Tobruk-based parliament, supported by the LNA, and the UN-backed western-based government. In recent weeks, troops affiliated with the GNA have made major military gains against Haftar's army. The GNA, backed by Turkey and Qatar, has said it wants to seize the strategic city of Sirte from the LNA.
Earlier in the month, the delegation of Libya's eastern-based parliament, including the LNA representatives, paid an official visit to Moscow and met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov to discuss the crisis in Libya.
