Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Monday held talks at his request with the ambassadors of China, the United States and Russia in Croatia, informing them of a verbal personal message he received last week from the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in which Gaddafi told him that he was willing to step down on condition that NATO stopped with its attacks, Mesic's office said in a statement.
"I can confirm first-hand that Colonel Gaddafi was ready to completely withdraw from public life and politics and that he promised firmly that there would not be any obstacles to the introduction of a multiparty system or reforms, but on condition that NATO attacks stopped," reads the statement from Mesic's office.
The former president said that he could confirm that the authorities in Tripoli were trying to reach with this message, through all available channels, the countries that played the crucial role in organising and conducting the military operations in Libya.
The office of the former president said that at his talks with Ambassadors James Foley of the United States, Shen Zhifei of China and Robert Markaryan of Russia, Mesic presented his position on the situation in Libya, expressing concern about possible developments in that country where rebels are toppling the Gaddafi regime.
"Without making assessments of the Gadaffi regime and having no illusions about its character in the context of what we consider to be democracy, but also fully aware of the strictly secular character of the government that has been toppled, I express regret that the fighting in the recent months, including NATO air strikes, and in particular yesterday's battles for control over Tripoli, have claimed a large number of civilian lives," Mesic said in his statement.
