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Russia Sees No Alternative to Negotiation Process on Libya Crisis

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia sees no alternative to negotiation process on the settlement of the crisis in Libya and urges all parties to the conflict to continue the dialogue and reach compromises, First Deputy Chief of the Russian Government Staff Sergei Prikhodko said on Tuesday.
Sputnik

“We believe that there is no alternative to the negotiation process. All Libyan parties should continue the dialogue on searching the compromises, relying on the Skhirat Agreement, the only viable basis for achieving a long-term settlement as stated in the UN Security Council resolution 2434,” Prikhodko said.

He also added that Russia is not taking sides in the Libyan conflict as it is interested in the territorial integrity of the country.

"We do not take sides in the intra-Libyan conflict. Guided by the interest of preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya, we maintain balanced contacts with all the major military-political forces in this country," Prikhodko said.

Two-Day Libya Peace Conference Kicking Off in Palermo
READ MORE: Reports Alleging Moscow's Military Plans in Libya Unfounded — Contact Group

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the Palermo Conference on Libyan settlement later on Tuesday.

Libya has been torn apart by conflict since longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011.

The eastern part of the country is governed by the Tobruk-based parliament, backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA). The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.

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