Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar have been pushed to end the war after Turkey and Russia, which back rival sides, exerted their leverage to end the conflict, starting with a fragile cease-fire that took hold on Saturday night.
A senior Turkish official and a senior Western diplomat confirmed to Bloomberg that the two men are expected to meet and sign the truce in Moscow.
A Libyan government spokesman told Bloomberg that he was unaware of the visit. A spokesman for Haftar said he was not in a position to respond immediately.
The two sides including Sarraj and Haftar will hold talks in Moscow on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“Haftar was forced to agree to the cease-fire because the balance in the field has shifted in favour of the Government of National Accord,” Emrullah Isler, Erdogan’s special envoy to Tripoli told Hurriyet newspaper on Monday, referring to Turkey’s decision to increase military support to the internationally-recognised government of Libya.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry welcomed a ceasefire in neighbouring Libya, where it has supported Haftar’s offensive to take the capital.
The ministry’s statement, however, said the success of political talks would depend on dismantling what it called the militias that support the internationally recognised government in Tripoli.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday.
“Italy is willing to actively take part in efforts led by Turkey in support of the Government of National Accord,” Isler said.
Turkey’s aim is to “turn the cease-fire into a permanent cessation of hostilities and find a realistic political solution,” Isler said, urging the sides to try and find common ground for a civilian and democratic Libya.
Sarraj agreed to travel to Moscow after discussions with Erdogan but he is insisting that forces of Haftar must be withdrawn to positions before the start of their offensive in April, the Turkish official said.