Moscow Ready to Cooperate with US over Libya

Russia is ready to work with the United States in order to resolve the crisis in Libya, said Russia's ambassador to Libya. (Reuters)
Russia is ready to work with the United States in order to resolve the crisis in Libya, said Russia's ambassador to Libya. (Reuters)
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Moscow Ready to Cooperate with US over Libya

Russia is ready to work with the United States in order to resolve the crisis in Libya, said Russia's ambassador to Libya. (Reuters)
Russia is ready to work with the United States in order to resolve the crisis in Libya, said Russia's ambassador to Libya. (Reuters)

Russia is ready to work with the United States in order to resolve the crisis in Libya, said Russia's ambassador to Libya, reported the RIA news agency on Friday.

Ivan Molotkov was also cited as saying that Moscow was ready to initiate the lifting of an international arms embargo on Libya, but that was something he said could only be done once the North African country had a united army.

Later on Friday, Germany earmarked 18 million euros ($21.3 million) in financial support to expand surveillance along the Libyan-Tunisian border.

Tunisia stepped up security measures along the 300-mile border in 2015 following attacks by extremists believed to have received training in Libya.

Germany's funds will be used to create permanent surveillance infrastructure and add to mobile observation equipment worth 16 million euros Berlin provided last year.

The project is being managed by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.