Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Seraj of the UN-backed government in Tripoli said on Sunday he would like Russia to help overcome deadlock in the country, which is struggling with divisions among militias and an Islamist militant threat.
In an interview with Reuters, Seraj expressed hope that Moscow might act as an intermediary between him and Khalifa Haftar, a military commander who is supported by factions based in the east of Libya.
Seraj's Government of National Accord has been trying to formulate plans for unified Libyan security forces since arriving in Tripoli in March, but has made little progress.
Neighbouring Egypt talked this month to the Tripoli and eastern factions, which are both vying for control of the whole country. However, it failed to engineer a meeting between the two key figures, Seraj and Haftar. Haftar was given a tour of a Russian aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean last month in a show of Kremlin support. Russia also expects Seraj to visit Moscow soon.
Asked whether Moscow could become a useful intermediary to pass on political messages or pressure to Haftar, Seraj said "Yes".
"We hope that Russia will play a positive role in resolving the Libyan crisis," he said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.