We really want Libya ceasefire signed, Moscow talks are heading in ‘positive direction’ – Turkey’s Erdogan

The two rival Libyan leaders, Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar, both arrived in Moscow for talks facilitated by Russia and Turkey. The negotiations are going well, Turkey’s president said expressing hope for a ceasefire deal.

“We want the ceasefire to be signed in Libya as soon as possible,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Italian PM Giuseppe Conte in Ankara on Monday, shedding some light on the ongoing talks in Moscow.

I think it will end in the evening, I received the information that [the talks] continue in a positive direction.

The Moscow talks come ahead of a much-anticipated peace conference on Libya that will be hosted by Berlin. Erdogan said he will attend the summit on Sunday.

The Italian PM praised the efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the country, calling for a “united, autonomous and sovereign” Libya.

Libyan delegations led by Fayez al-Sarraj – the head of Libya’s Tripoli-based, UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) – and his arch-rival, Khalifa Haftar – the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) – are in Moscow for ceasefire talks.

The negotiations are being mediated by Russian and Turkish teams, led by the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries. The talks, which are off-limits to the media, have been going on for six hours and few details have emerged so far. An official from Haftar’s side told Russian RIA Novosti that the delegations have yet to meet.

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