Lavrov discusses international support to peace in Libya with Tripoli govt’s deputy PM

MOSCOW, June 3. /TASS/. Joint international efforts seeking peace for Libya were in focus of the talks held in Moscow between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Accord and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Council Ahmed Maiteeq, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. "[They] focused on the tasks to consolidate international efforts in support to Libya settlement under the UN auspices, based on conclusions of the Berlin international conference on Libya held on January 19 and on Resolution 2510 of the United Nations Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In this context, [they] emphasized the particular timeliness of the appointment of a new special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya instead of Ghassan Salame who resigned on March 1." "The Russian side emphasized the importance of terminating hostilities as soon as possible and arranging an inclusive dialogue with the participation of all the leading Libyan political forces and public movements," the ministry said. While touching on the Russian-Libyan relationship, Lavrov reassured Maiteeq of Russian economic operators’ readiness to resume their activity in Libya after the military and political situation returns back to normal there, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed. Apart from that, the Foreign Ministry pointed out that the Russian nationals’ staying in a Tripoli jail remains the main obstacle to Russia’s cooperation with Libya’s Government of National Accord. "The Libyan side was once more asked a question about the speedy and unconditional release of the Russian nationals Maksim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan arrested in Tripoli in May 2019," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "It was emphasized that the Russian citizens’ imprisonment in Tripoli remains currently the main obstacle to the progressive development of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.". Read more