Moscow (AFP) – Military strongman Khalifa Haftar, who Moscow is accused of supporting in Libya’s conflict, has thanked President Vladimir Putin for his efforts to end fighting in the war-ravaged country, the Kremlin said Friday.

“Vladimir Putin, my dear friend!” Haftar said in a letter to Putin, quoted by the Kremlin ahead of a Libya peace conference in Germany that the Russian leader will attend on Sunday.

“I express my personal gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of the Russian Federation to bring about peace and stability in Libya.”