Russia backs Algeria's mediation efforts in Libyan crisis

Algeria announced on Wednesday that Russia supports its efforts to mediate in the Libyan crisis, in order to reach a political solution and end the conflict between the rival parties in Libya.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country supports Algeria's "intense" efforts to reach a political solution to the Libyan crisis, Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and League of Arab States, Abdelkader Messahel said. 

During his talks with Messahel, on the sidelines of the 4th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum in Abu Dhabi, Lavrov welcomed "Algeria's intense efforts to reconcile the views of Libyan belligerents in order to reach the long-awaited political solution."

Both sides have stressed the need for "promoting the bilateral relations."

They broached the regional and international issues of common interest, notably the situation in Libya and the Sahel, emphasizing "the convergence of views and assessments of all regional issues."

The two ministers stressed the "need for creating necessary conditions for political solutions to the crises in the region," the source said.

Regarding the Libyan question, Messahel and Lavrov called for "supporting the measures to remove the obstacles hampering the implementation of the Libyan political agreement, through inclusive dialogue and national reconciliation between Libyan belligerents, so as to end the Libyan crisis and allow the Libyans to build their future and address the various challenges, notably the building of Libyan institutions and the fight against terrorism."

The two ministers expressed "satisfaction with the exceptional level" of the bilateral relations, based on "secular friendship and solidarity," reaffirming "their common willingness" of pursuing the "intensification of the political coordination and consultation" between the two countries, likewise  the last strategic and security consultation held last July in Moscow.

Concerning the bilateral cooperation, the two ministers reaffirmed the need for continuing their efforts to strengthen the economic partnership between the two countries, particularly following Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal’s visit to Moscow in April 2016 and the forthcoming visit of head of the Russian government, Dmitri Medvedev to Algeria, part of the implementation of the Declaration of Strategic Partnership, signed in 2001.