The participants of the Paris International Conference for Libya confirmed the need to withdraw foreign troops from Libyan territory gradually and smoothly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists on Friday. According to the Russian top diplomat, this approach will allow to preserve the balance of forces thanks to which Libya has managed to maintain truce for over a year. The foreign minister noted that previous agreements on Libya were upheld at the conference. Earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the continued presence of foreign troops in Libya despite the agreement to withdraw them. The 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) reported on Friday that Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army would withdraw 300 mercenaries from the regions controlled by it per France’s request.

Source: Libya Today November 12, 2021 23:59 UTC