Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed today, Thursday, the need for all foreign forces to leave Libya, while the United Nations mission called on the parties to the conflict to avoid military buildup.
In a press conference held in Moscow with his Libyan counterpart, Najla Al-Manqoush, Lavrov affirmed his country's support for the outcomes of the Libyan Military Committee known as "5 + 5".
Lavrov said that there is a need to make more efforts in building the institutions of the Libyan state, especially in the field of security, calling for the resumption of economic and oil cooperation between Russia and Libya.
For her part, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Manqoush praised Russia's role in the ceasefire, support for the political process and the unification of Libyan institutions, foremost of which is the military institution.
Al-Manqoush revealed that Russia is in the process of reopening its embassy in Tripoli and a consulate in Benghazi.
In a related context, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya called for refraining from carrying out any mobilization or deployment of elements and security forces, which may be considered an escalation, which may undermine the implementation of the ceasefire agreement that was signed on October 23 last.
The mission urged all parties to respect the lines of contact as they were when the ceasefire agreement was signed.
The mission affirmed its support for the efforts of the "5 + 5" Joint Military Committee aimed at maintaining calm and stability, and called on all parties to support these efforts in order to create a peaceful and conducive environment for holding national elections at the end of next December.
The Mission renewed its call on all relevant national and international actors to ensure the full implementation, respect and support of the ceasefire agreement in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.