MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. The political agreement on Libya signed last February in Morocco’s town of Skhirat and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2259 as a basis for the settlement in Libya, should be scrupulously observed by all parties, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said at a ministerial meeting on Libya in New York where the 17st session of the UN General Assembly is underway.
"The situation in Libya is still unstable," Gatilov noted. "The efforts to restore the stability and unity in the country after the illegal military intervention in 2011 have not yet been successful. The country’s future is still uncertain. In this regard, we would like to highlight the importance of the conscientious observation of UN Security Council Resolution 2259 endorsing the Libyan Political Agreement as a basis for a political settlement."
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the meeting’s participants had stated that the continued inclusive dialogue under UN auspices with meaningful international assistance was the only way to overcome contradictions. They emphasized the key task of restoring the country’s unity and its state institutions, including the army and other law enforcement agencies. The problem of combating terrorism and the necessity of uniting all patriotic Libyan forces for reaching this goal, was also highlighted at the meeting.
"Only the Libyan people can determine the conditions for a political settlement through an open dialogue," Gatilov said in his connection. "They can only accept a scheme that will rule out any external pressure. The UN and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Martin Kobler should conduct diligent efforts in order to engage the key politicians, the military, the representatives of the country’s regions and the tribes in the peace process, leaving no one behind. The unilateral imposition of sanctions, as some countries have done, will not lead to a positive result."
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Russia’s deputy foreign minister also said that "one of the key tasks at this stage is the integration of the Libyan state institutions, especially the law enforcement agencies." "In this respect, it would be wrong to disregard the Libyan national army that has been fighting terrorists in the country’s eastern regions," the Russian diplomat went on to say. "Only unified and strengthened security bodies could receive international military assistance within the restrictions imposed by the UN Security Council. The arms embargo should be scrupulously observed, at the same time, reliably monitoring the embargo is also important."
"We have, on more than one occasion, stressed the necessity of a systematic and consistent approach," Gatilov noted. "There are problems in this area because some countries have been conducting air strikes in certain areas of Libya, they have also been sending special forces involved in training the armed groups. This approach only exacerbates animosity and disunites the Libyan people."