Russia and Libya have a potential for broader bilateral cooperation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamanin said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Kamanin said he is “optimistic about prospects for political contacts” between Russia and Libya.
The positions of Moscow and Tripoli “coincide or are close on such key issues as a multi-polar world, the fight against terrorism, peace in the Middle East and Africa”, he said. “In recent years the activity of Russian economic operators in the Libyan market has increased, primarily in the fuel and energy sector,” he said, adding, “Several Russian firms are participating in tenders for geological prospecting.”
In addition to the oil and gas sector, “there are good prospects for cooperation in the power industry, in the field of investment, and industrial and transport infrastructure”, Kamanin said.
In his view, “The closure of the debt file helped to accelerate cooperation in various areas”. “The entire range of issues concerning Libya’s debt to Russia – from verification of its size to the development of a concrete mechanism of debt payments – is subject to negotiations between finance ministries and authorised banks,” the diplomat said.
“This work is in progress,” he added. In the field of education, Russia provides five grants for Libyan students and post-graduates every year, and 10 people study in Russia on a paid basis. In return, Libya gives a quota for Russian students from Moslem regions to study at its Islamic University.
Source: ITAR-TASS
