Russia could supply Haftar with arms through newly opened trade air-line between Damascus and Benghazi

BY Libyan Express Feb 21, 2018 - 22:06

The Libyan east-based Minister of Economy, Munir Al-Aser, who is loyal to the House of Representatives and warlord Khalifa Haftar met last Saturday with his Syrian counterpart Mohammed Samir Al-Khalil in Damascus, in a visit that comes first of its kind for a Libyan official to Syria after the Arab Spring.

The two economy ministers discussed, according to Libyan HoR-loyal media and Syrian media, opening a direct air-line for trade and commodities exchange between Benghazi and Damascus.

The Libyan News Agency (LANA) in Al-Bayda, which is operated by the HoR and Haftar’s loyalists, reported Sunday that the meeting in Damascus resulted on an agreement between Libya and Syria on freight, cargo and trade line to be opened between Benghazi’s Benina airport and Damascus airport that allows the two countries to exchange goods and commodities.

However, reactions in Libya to the air-line between Syria, which is devastated by war and is an arena for international battles, and Libya’s east which is also tron by the war waged by Khalifa Haftar on revolutionaries from the cities of Benghazi and Derna, or as he claims “war on terror.”

Several observers felt tremendously skeptical about the deal made by two dictators – Haftar and Bashar al-Assad – questioning the mere target of the deal, saying it could be a clandestine trade of weapons sent by Russia via Syria to Libya’s warlord or even an exchange of security experts sent from Syria to Benghazi.

Meanwhile, Haftar has come under attack of Russian recent statements made by Lev Dengov, the Head of the Russian Contact Group for intra-Libya Settlement, who confirmed that Haftar asked Russia for military support, weapons, and setting up a military base.

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