First Deputy Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), Hussein al-Qatrani, will pay a visit to Russia on Tuesday, a statement said on Sunday.
Al-Qatrani had been earlier scheduled to visit the European powerhouse from January 16 to 20 but the travel was postponed.
It is expected that the deputy prime minister will engage with government authorities in Russian on issues focusing on the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, as well as the situation around the postponement of the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Al-Qatrani is expected to be accompanied by Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun, Health Minister Ali Al-Zanati and Minister of Planning Kamal al-Hassi.
Meanwhile, the UN special envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams will visit Moscow on January 17 at the invitation of the Russian foreign ministry.
Libya’s Election Commission announced on December 22, 2021 that the December 24 presidential and parliamentary elections had been postponed, proposing to parliament to hold the first round of the presidential election a month later, on January 24, 2022, citing flaws in legislation as the reason for the postponement.
According to the commission, lawmakers are ultimately responsible for making the final decision. The parliament disagreed with the one-month delay, citing “security reasons,” and the new date of the vote is still unknown.
Libya’s political dialogue forum in Switzerland at the beginning of the year included prominent representatives of the country who decided to hold elections on December 24.
The new government and Presidential Council were formed in anticipation of the elections. However, it became clear a week prior to the scheduled date that the elections would not take place.