Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Commission held a meeting to discuss the upcoming elections with Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The 5+5 Joint Military Commission is made up of five senior military officers from the Libyan government and five chosen by putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar.
The ministry noted that the commission representatives held a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also is the special representative of the president of Russia for the Middle East and Africa.
Defense ministry officials also held meetings, the statement said.
The meeting focused on the upcoming elections in Libya, which will take place on Dec. 24.
The Russian side highlighted its hopes for a permanent government and state institutions to be formed in Libya following the elections, and noted that Moscow was ready to provide support to solve the problems of the 5+5 commission.
There has been little peace or security in Libya since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Moammar Gadhafi. The country split between the warring eastern and western factions in 2014.
Eastern forces were backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia and Egypt. The previous government in Tripoli, in the west, which was recognized by the United Nations, was supported by Turkey.
Foreign mercenaries and arms have poured into the country since Haftar launched his offensive, with Russia and the UAE serving as the putschist general's top suppliers. According to the U.N., there are currently 20,000 foreign forces and/or mercenaries left in Libya.
The Russian Wagner Group, which is owned by businessperson Yevgeny Prigozhin, a figure close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is known as one of the main groups that sent mercenaries to fight in Libya.
