Moscow wants to resume military cooperation with Libya

An official source in Tripoli said on Wednesday that Russian President Boris Yeltsin expressed in a message he addressed to Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi his country's desire to resume cooperation with Libya.

The source added that in the message, Yeltsin stressed "Russia's desire to resume relations with Libya and open new horizons for bilateral cooperation." The message was handed over by the chairman of a Russian industrial military delegation currently visiting Tripoli.

The delegation, which includes Deputy Prime Minister Elia Kleibanov, a former director of the weapons-exporting company Russforjeini, and the deputy premier for trade affairs, Gregory Rabouta.

Itar Tass news agency reported on Tuesday, quoting sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense that the visit of the delegation aims at strengthening industrial- military relations with Libya, especially in the area of aviation.

On May 16, the Russian president signed a decree to resume diplomatic and economic cooperation with Libya following the suspension of UN sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council against Libya.

In July, Russia expressed its intent to propose selling Mig 31 warplanes to Libya and to help it modernize almost 90 Libyan Mig-25 air force jets.