Close to Moscow via Minsk … Haftar in front of the budget challenge between America and Russia

Many questions were raised about an unprecedented movement in relations between the leader of the Libyan “National Army”, Khalifa Haftar, who controls eastern and southern Libya, and Belarus, the focus of the man’s ability to achieve a balance in his relations between the axes of Russia and its allies on the one hand and the United States and its camp on the other hand.

The head of the East government (parallel), Osama Hammad, was at the forefront of the future deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Victor Karankvich, upon his arrival on Sunday, to Benina International Airport in the city of Benghazi (the capital of eastern Libya).

The visit came less than a month after talks by Haftar in the capital, Minsk, with the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who confirmed his country’s readiness to develop cooperation with Libya, and Haftar addressed: “I would like to feel like you are in your home, and we consider your friends, and I have read and heard a lot about you, but unfortunately I have not met you before, and I want you to know that we are well aware of the situation in Libya Good, “adding,” You should know that we are ready to help you in every possible way. Everything we will agree today during your stay in Belarus will be carried out on time, while the guest asserted that Libya “seeks to establish strategic cooperation with Belarus.”

The Libyan expert in political affairs, Mohamed Bouisir, noticed the race of Moscow and Washington to win Haftar, pointing out that “the exchange of visits between the camp of eastern Libya and Belarus coincided with the visit of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Younis Bey Vikkirov, Benghazi, last Saturday, and in return, the Americans sent messages to Haftar through French President Emmanuel Macron, who met him at the Elysee Palace, after his visit to Belarus, It appears that he conveyed a message from US President Donald Trump, which was immediately followed by military maneuvers in which the B52 strategic bombers participated in the sky of Libya, without an occasion except that it is a message to the Russian side and the dazzling of the Libyan side.

Boiser assured Al -Nahar that this competition “gives Haftar an opportunity to become the man who is able to achieve stability in Libya, if he can benefit from the courtyard, but the question is is he able to do so?”

The strengthening of relations with Minsk would expand from the Haftar International Relations Network, according to what the expert in Russian affairs and the Balkan countries Hadi Drabia believe, assuring Al -Nahar that this new relationship gives him a greater influence in international negotiations on Libya, especially while strengthening his alliances with countries outside the western and Arab axes, and this step may also use a pressure card in the face of its local and international opponents. “The close relations between Belarus and Russia open the door to indirect support from the Libyan army, especially in light of the geopolitical tensions in North Africa. Belarus constitutes a new partner in this context, especially as it goes to strengthen its presence in North Africa, and open new cooperation prospects to dismantle its international isolation”, pointing out that “during Haftar’s visit to the Belarusian capital before Two weeks, the sign of his visit to the memorial of the unknown soldier in Minsk, and this step directly reflects the military nature of his visit, as it was noteworthy that Haftar’s meeting with the Belarusian President also participated in the head of the State Security Committee, Ivan Terlin.

Drabia explained that “Belarus, despite Western sanctions, remains a pioneering country in military industries and defense technology, and it is not unlikely that the goal of mutual visits will be to enhance cooperation in areas such as military training, maintenance of equipment, and modernizing the Libyan defense structure. Belarus also has experiences in agricultural and food industries, which may contribute to enhancing Libyan food security, especially with the food deficiency crises that the country suffers. It also has experiences in reconstruction and infrastructure, which may accelerate development projects in areas under the control of the Libyan National Army.

The researcher in Russian affairs, Samer Elias, agrees with a vision of his Drabi, stressing that “the Russian side has an interest in improving the relations between Minsk and Benghazi, and the visit of Haftar would not take place without coordination with Moscow. The Russian side is sticking to the support of Haftar camp, and Moscow may want at this stage not to be at the front of relations with Libya due to the changes in the region and the world, so I opened the door to relations with Belarus that believe in the east of Libya. Military.

Elias excludes that recent developments affect openness in Haftar’s relations with Washington, “American interest in Libya has so far limited and focuses on the oil file and reducing energy prices, unlike France and Italy in particular, and according to recent developments I do not think that the file of the Russians out of Libya is a priority with the administration of President Trump, but I think that there is a state of violation of influence between the two countries, and this may be the basis for future understandings.”

As for the Libyan researcher in political affairs and international relations, Mohamed Emtairid, he explained that the mutual visits “touched on cooperation in the agricultural and industrial fields in addition to the military defense”, pointing to “Al -Nahar” to a huge agricultural project in the Al -Kafra area (southeastern Libya) will be agreed to implement with Minsk. He believed that the Belarusian delegation’s visit to Benghazi raises the level of the legitimacy of the government (parallel) at the international level in the face of the capital’s government.

“Cooperation with Belarus confirms the continuation of the coalition between the National Army and Moscow, but this does not mean obstructing cooperation with the United States under Trump’s presidency.” He agrees with Boisir to race between Moscow and Washington to win the friendliness of Haftar’s camp, “which controls areas that represent a strategic depth of regional countries.”