BERLIN, January 19. /TASS/. The leaders of Libya’s conflicting parties were invited to the international conference in Berlin at Russia’s request, Russia’s acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.
"It was thanks to our insistence that the organizers retreated from their original plan to convene a meeting without the Libyan parties and invited the Libyan leaders to the conference," Lavrov said, adding he was speaking about Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Accord Fayez Sarraj and Commander of the Lybian National Army Khalifa Haftar.
"The number of participants from among Libya’s neighbors was increased also at our initiative," he said, adding it is important to take into account these nations’ interests to ensure the sustainability of any agreements.
According to Russia’s top diplomat, the five-hour Berlin conference was preceded by four months of preparatory efforts, including five preliminary rounds and consultations of senior officials. As a result, the conference has yielded a rather detailed final document with recommendations and initiatives on settling the Libyan crisis.
Thus, in his words, the document has a section dedicated to efforts in the sphere of security, "including the necessity to ensure a lasting ceasefire." It also has a section on the return to the political process, on resolving Libya’s economic problems ensuring access of all Libya’s parties - religious, ethnic and political groups - to natural resources. "It has a section on humanitarian problems, human rights, and a section about support to all these efforts from the international community under the United Nations aegis," he said.
The high-level conference on Libya was held on Sunday in the German capital city Berlin. It was attended by the leaders of ten nations, including Russian, Turkish and French presidents and the UK prime minister. United Nations secretary general, US secretary of state, representatives from Algeria, Egypt, China and the United Arab Emirates also took part.