In a fiery address at Moscow’s Valdai Discussion Club, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rebuked Western accusations of obstructing Libya’s national dialogue, branding them as propaganda fueling the country’s prolonged instability.Drawing parallels with Syria, Lavrov warned against treating the Middle East as a geopolitical « playground » and emphasized the creation of a Palestinian State as the key to regional peace, while lauding the recent Gaza ceasefire as a step forward.
Speaking at a 14th East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian Foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov lambasted any western claims that Russia is preventing a national dialogue from commencing in Libya.
The claims he linked with its military presence in the African country that has long been plagued by violence since the demise of the nation’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011.The foreign minister added that these accusations are the fundamental roots of libya’s current problems as they are propaganda by western diplomats to derail Libya’s dialogue partners in charting the way for peace.
Picking up from Libya, Lavrov pointed at the ongoing crisis in Syria. According to the top Russian diplomat, the Middle East is not a playground and external entities should not treat it that way. The key to all the many problems lies in the creation of a Palestinian State, he affirmed.
However, he welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, acknowledging the efforts to reach an agreement after prolonged negotiations at the United Nations Security Council.
