An image grab taken from a video from AFPTV, on February 6, 2019, shows Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar patroling in downtown Sebha, the biggest city in southern Libya.
MOSCOW, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov underlined political means in resolving disputes in a phone call with Libya's eastern-based army commander Khalifa Haftar on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Bogdanov told Haftar that Russia supports the mediation steps of the United Nations and the UN Special Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame, the ministry said.
Bogdanov, who is also a special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Middle East and Africa, stressed the need to consolidate efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremist ideology.
Haftar shared information on the actions undertaken by his Libyan National Army in recent days.
He said these actions were aimed at intensifying the fight against terrorist and extremist groups in various parts of the country, including in the capital of Tripoli.
According to Haftar, such groups "pose a danger to the stability of the Libyan society and impede the implementation of agreements on the establishment of a sustainable intra-Libyan inclusive political process."
Haftar on Thursday launched a military operation to take over Tripoli, where the United Nations-backed government is based.
Haftar's army is allied with Libya's eastern-based government, as the North African country is politically divided between two governments in the east and west.
Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's government in 2011.