Minsk— Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held talks on Tuesday with the Deputy Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar in the Belarusian capital, Minsk during which they vowed to strengthen bilateral relations.
The official visit by the Deputy Commander comes as a follow up on previous official visits that have been made by Libyan military and political officials aiming at further advancing cooperation between Libya and Belarus.
A statement by the LNA’s General Command said the meeting with President Lukashenko “discussed spects of bilateral cooperation and strengthening relations between the two countries in a number of vital areas, most notably military cooperation.”
On his part, President Lukashenko noted that the Libyan people are seeking to unite their country and are intent on bringing peace and tranquility to it, and “we are ready to work with you in this regard day and night,” as quoted by BelTA.
Directing his words to General Saddam Haftar, Mr. Lukashenko stressed that Belarus was interested in peace and stability in Libya because “a calm and developing Libya will be able to secure peace and tranquility for half of the African continent. Rest assured that you’ve come to your friends.”
“Any proposals of yours in this area are welcome. If we can do something, we will provide every aid and support to the Libyan nation,” Lukashenko added.
Cooperation in economic and investment fields, healthcare, infrastructure, industry, and agriculture, which would contribute to promoting sustainable development and supporting reconstruction efforts in Libya was also discussed, the General Command’s statement said.
Mr. Saddam Haftar, along with Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich, took part in the official opening ceremony of the Libyan Diplomatic Trade Mission in Minsk.
Speaking to BelTA after the opening ceremony, Anatoly Linevich, who oversees Belarus-Libya projects in the agro‑industrial sector, said, “with the opening of the trade house, trade and economic relations between our countries will only improve. They are already quite effective, but now they will develop more dynamically.”
He emphasized that entering the Libyan market is a difficult and lengthy process. “We hope to master this market more quickly. People want to work with us. And since there is mutual interest, there must certainly be results,” Anatoly Linevich added as cited by BelTA.
