Libyan Regime in Talks with Rebels, Says Russia Envoy

Russia's special envoy Mikhail Margelov said he had been told by Libya's prime minister Thursday that Tripoli was holding talks with the Benghazi-based rebels in Paris, Russian news agencies reported.

But he cautioned that the talks, whose latest round he said was held this week in Paris, were off to a slow start because of the "tough positions" adopted by the two sides.

"I was assured at today's negotiations that direct contacts between Benghazi and Tripoli are already underway," ITAR-TASS quoted Margelov as saying after meeting Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi in Tripoli.

"The Libyan prime minister told me that a round of such contacts concluded yesterday in Paris," he added.

French President Nicolas "Sarkozy has been informed of the outcome of these contacts," Margelov said.

Margelov, who earlier this month held talks in Benghazi, did not meet personally with Libya's strongman leader Moammar Gadhafi.

But he said after talks with the Libyan foreign minister earlier Thursday that he had been told that Gadhafi was "not ready" to go.

Margelov said he may meet the embattled leader during another visit to Tripoli, whose timing he did not provide.

The Russian envoy revealed few details of the Paris negotiations, failing to specify who was involved or how many rounds of talks had been held.

But Margelov noted that from the Tripoli government's perspective, it was playing a part in direct talks.

"This means that a Libyan dialogue -- at least from the standpoint of Tripoli -- already essentially exists," ITAR-TASS quoted Margelov as saying.

"But in order for it to succeed, it is essential to cease fire as soon as possible and to extend mediation efforts," President Dmitry Medvedev's personal envoy said.

Margelov said the talks between the two sides' representatives will require many more rounds, adding that he was likely to visit both Benghazi and Tripoli again.

"Whenever you have a political crisis, the sides adopt tough positions that seem irreconcilable," RIA Novosti quoted the Russian envoy as saying.

"But the point of mediation efforts is to try and bridge these seemingly contradictory positions."

Margelov added that "this will require more than one trip to Benghazi and more than one trip to Tripoli."

Medvedev agreed to help negotiate an end to the Libya conflict at a G8 summit in France last month.

Russia had opposed the international offensive against its traditional ally, and still retains formal contacts in Tripoli.