Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow appreciates what he described as the “balanced and neutral stance” taken by the Libyans when the issue of Ukraine is raised at the United Nations. He made these remarks during talks held Tuesday evening in Moscow with Taher aA-Baour, Acting Foreign Minister of the Government of National Unity.

Lavrov explained that his country has assessed the current stage of developments related to the Ukrainian crisis, noting that the Libyans “understand the root causes of this situation.”

Attack on the Arctic Metagaz gas tanker

The Russian minister’s statement came after Russia accused Ukraine of launching an attack targeting the Arctic Metagaz gas tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, originating from the Libyan coast. Moscow described the incident as an “act of international terrorism” threatening the safety of maritime navigation. The Russian Ministry of Transport had previously reported that the tanker, which was carrying liquefied natural gas from the Arctic port of Murmansk, was attacked by drones belonging to the Ukrainian Navy.

Regarding Russian-Libyan relations, Lavrov affirmed that “his country’s primary goal is to help restore unity and national harmony in Libya,” noting Moscow’s readiness to support these efforts. He added that Russia is keen, through its meetings and communications with various Libyan parties, to maintain contact with all regions of the country, thereby contributing to the process of national unification and stability.

Contacts with Various Parties

According to Russia’s RT channel, the Russian minister referred to recent contacts he had with the head of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Dabaiba, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, in addition to previous meetings with representatives from Benghazi.

Lavrov revealed an agreement to open the Russian Consulate General in Benghazi soon, alongside the continued operation of the Russian Embassy in Tripoli, explaining that the consulate had previously operated in the city before its activities were suspended in 1993.

He noted that Moscow is looking forward to the participation of the “Libyan delegation in the Third Russia-Africa Summit,” scheduled to take place in the second half of this year in Moscow. He added: “We are convinced that the Libyans themselves must make the fundamental decisions regarding the future of their country, without external interference, and that they must overcome the differences between various parts of Libya and restore their country’s unity and territorial integrity.”

Lavrov continued: “We will explore ways to help our companies return or re-engage in the Libyan economy through the mechanism of the Intergovernmental Commission, which will resume its work. We agreed on this today, and this is one of the tangible outcomes of our friends’ visit.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Government of National Unity announced the convening of the Libyan-Russian Joint Committee in Moscow, after a 25-year hiatus, during the official meeting held Tuesday in Moscow.