Moscow – Libya wants the arms embargo imposed on the country to be mitigated in order to increase the operational readiness of the presidential guard and coast guards, Mohamed Siala, minister of foreign affairs said Tuesday.
“We, consequently, have approached the UN Security Council with a project on amending the resolution on arms embargo for Libya.
“In particular, we would like to make exceptions for certain weapons for equipping the coast guard and for the use by the presidential guard forces,” Siala said following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Libya has been banned from importing arms by a UN Security Council resolution adopted in 2011.
Libyan senior officials have expressed their hope for the partial lift of the arms embargo against the country on numerous occasions.
In June, Gen. Najmi Naqou, the commander of the Libyan presidential guard announced that a request has been submitted to the UN Security Council to exclude the Libyan presidential guard from the restrictions.
Libya has been suffering from a civil war since 2011 when the country’s long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown.
The country’s eastern regions are governed by the parliament headquartered in the city of Tobruk.
The Government of National Accord, formed with the support from the UN and Europe and headed by Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country’s west, including the Libyan capital of Tripoli. (Sputnik/NAN)