Translated material
The Russian embassy is returning to Libya after the attack, but diplomats will not live in the building
Libya is ready for the return of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Muhammad Abdel-Aziz. “We are completely ready. We value relations with Russia. We hope that the team of Russian diplomats will return to Libya as soon as possible to restore and strengthen our connections,” he said in an interview with the Rossi of Russia radio station.
In this regard, Libya conducts consultations with the Russian government, primarily with the foreign policy, on the return of the embassy. “It was reported to us that a decision was already made to return,” Abdel -Aziza Interfax quotes.
The Foreign Minister Libya said that the incident with an attack on the Russian embassy, which served as the reason for the evacuation of the diplomatic mission , was not indicative for relations between Libya and Russia. “The situation has calmed down for a long time,” Abdel -Aziz said, adding that Russian diplomats would not return to the embassy building itself, but to one of the well -protected hotels in Tripoli. “This decision of the Russian Foreign Ministry is to choose another place. This is not our decision,” he emphasized.
The minister also noted that the return of the Russian embassy will resume negotiations on the fate of two Russians , Alexander Shadrov and Vladimir Dolgov, sentenced by the Libyan court to imprisonment on charges of "aiding the Gaddafi regime and attempted murder by restoring military equipment."
According to him, Russians can be returned if the agreements are concluded between the countries on the transfer of convicted persons to serve his sentence in their homeland. “We have not yet concluded an appropriate agreement. Libya is full of readiness for negotiations with Russia about the agreement, which will make it possible for the concluded to return to Russia,” the Minister ITAR -TASS quotes.
In June 2012, the Supreme Military Court of Libya found a group of Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian citizens guilty of "aiding the Gaddafi regime and attempted murder by restoring military equipment." Alexander Shadrov, recognized by the organizer of the group, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Vladimir Dolgov, as well as three citizens of Belarus and 19 Ukrainians were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The Foreign Minister also spoke out on another acute problem. He said that the investigation in the case of Russian citizen Ekaterina Ustyuzhaninova , arrested in Libya in October for the murder of a local officer, continues. “As far as I know, they treat her well. Investigators find out what happened and what are the reasons,” said the Foreign Minister Libya.
It should be noted that the murder of the officer provoked relatives and friends of the murdered Libyan to the decision to "take revenge" for his death by attack on the Russian diplomatic mission on October 2. Contrary to all these circumstances, Abdel-Aziz noted that Libya sees an important partner in Russia and intends to develop mutually beneficial bilateral relations. “We value relations with Russia. What happened should not affect these relations. But it is necessary to develop relations between Libya and Russia,” the minister is convinced.