A Russian diplomat, Director of the International Organizations Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Pyotr Ilyichev, said that Libya has become practically divided into two parts, attacking some Western countries that he did not name for seeking to turn Libya into a new place for confrontation with Moscow.
Ilyichev said that Libya has not yet recovered from “the blatant aggression launched by NATO against it, which began in 2011 by circumventing UN Security Council resolutions,” according to his interview with RIA Novosti on Sunday.
He also pointed out that Libya is on the brink of civil war, and has in fact turned into a source of illegal immigration, adding that against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis, individual countries, as part of a broad anti-Russian campaign, are trying to turn Libya into an arena for confrontation with Moscow, but he indicated that "these attempts only help to consolidate the existing lines of division on the ground and delay the possibilities of reaching a settlement among Libyans.”
He said that in order to settle the crisis politically, the situation on the ground in Libya can only be improved through dialogue between all warring Libyan parties, with the help of interested external players and the central role of the United Nations.
"We are focused on the belief that expressing the will of the people can put an end to the long-standing dual power in Libya, and will become the basis for stability by restoring the country's unity and territorial integrity." He added.
The Russian diplomat also advised Libyans to determine the timing and measures for holding the elections, without external pressure or "artificially imposed deadlines."
