Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today that Russia is ready to establish diplomatic relations with the Libyan rebels, if they manage to unite Libya, where "two governments" still exist.
"If the rebels have enough strength, spirit and opportunity to unite the country on a new democratic basis, of course we will consider the possibility of establishing (diplomatic) relations with them," said Medvedev, after talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, who on Saturday arrived to visit Russia.
The Russian president assessed that despite the success of the rebels in Libya, there are still two governments and appealed to both sides to negotiate in order to reach a peace agreement.
"Despite the success of the rebels, Gaddafi and his supporters still have influence and a certain military potential. We want both sides to sit down at the negotiating table and reach a peace agreement. There are actually two governments in the country," said Medvedev.
Libyan rebels took control of Muammar Gaddafi's presidential compound in Tripoli yesterday, but the Libyan leader's whereabouts are still unknown.
He said in a televised audio message that allowing the rebels to occupy the Bab el-Azizi military-residential complex was a "tactical retreat" on his part.
Sporadic shooting and explosions were heard in Tripoli for almost the entire night between Tuesday and Wednesday, and the fighting in the Libyan capital continued today.
Russia, along with China, abstained from voting when the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973 in March, which approved the international intervention in Libya.
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