Youssef Al-Aqouri, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee of the Libyan House of Representatives, thanked Russia for helping to evacuate all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya in support of the fight against terrorism in the country.
Al-Aqouri met on Thursday in Benghazi with the Russian Ambassador to Libya, Aydar Rashidovich Aganin. He emphasized the historical relations between the two countries and expressed the desire of the House of Representatives to strengthen cooperation with Russia in all areas, TeleSUR reports.
The two officials discussed cooperation between the nations in education, civil security and disaster response as well as the laws for the upcoming elections in Libya, which the parliament recently approved, according to a statement from the House of Representatives.
Youssef Al-Aqouri also appreciated Russia’s help in the recent deadly floods in eastern Libya.
Rashidovich stressed Russia’s willingness to help Libya hold elections and to strengthen cooperation to serve the interests of the people of the two countries. Work is underway to open a Russian consulate in Benghazi soon.
Oil-rich Libya is politically divided between eastern and western governments. Each administration is supported by armed groups and militias, according to TeleSUR.