Russia’s official representative to the United Nations, confirmed his country’s absolute support for the total withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya, saying that their continued presence in the country renders the agreement of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee merely ink on paper, undermining the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

The Russian representative added in a briefing to the UN Security Council on Friday, that Moscow is perturbed about the implementation of the roadmap originating from the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), particularly following certain parties discussing the possibility of postponing the December elections.

He went on to stress the necessity to hold the elections and to involve all sides in them in order for them to be successful, reiterating that there is no possible alternative to a political settlement in Libya, under the auspices of the UN, explaining that Russia fully supports the Libyan stability initiative, launched by the Government of National Unity (GNU), along with national reconciliation efforts sponsored by the Presidential Council, according to his statement.