Belousov discussed the situation in North Africa with the head of the LNA General Staff Haftar

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held a meeting with Khaled Haftar, Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan National Army (LNA), where they discussed strengthening bilateral relations and the situation in North Africa. This was announced on September 5 by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

"During the talks, topical issues of Russian-Libyan relations were touched upon. The parties also discussed key issues of the development of the situation in North Africa," the ministry said in a statement.

It is noted that the meeting was a continuation of Haftar's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place in May this year.

In addition, Belousov congratulated Haftar on his appointment to the post of Chief of the General Staff and the assignment of the rank of Colonel General, emphasizing his important contribution to strengthening Libya's defense capability. In turn, Haftar thanked the Russian minister for the warm welcome and noted that the visit was useful for Libya, allowing him to assess Russia's contribution to global stability.

Earlier, on May 10, Putin met with Haftar in the Kremlin. Footage from the meeting showed the Russian leader and the Libyan commander smiling at each other and shaking hands. The next day, the general also discussed the situation in Libya with Belousov.

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