SAN SALVADOR, August 23 (Itar-Tass) — The end of combat operations in Libya should be immediately followed by formation of new democratic bodies of power, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a news conference.
“To all appearances, the war in Libya is nearing completion. Power in the country will be taken by insurgent forces,” the minister said. “We always wanted that the end of the war would come as soon as possible. It could have come earlier, but a series of factors had interfered with this: the stand of Gaddafi, unwillingness of some quarters to back initiatives of the African Union, obstacles and actions by NATO which surpassed its mandate, granted by the UN Security Council”.
“The end of the war could have come earlier, which would have saved many lives,” Lavrov said with conviction.
“Since rebels are likely to take power, the Interim National Council and other groups, operating on the side of rebels, will bear responsibility for further developments,” the Russian minister noted.
“We want their priorities to include security of foreign citizens, among them Russians,” Lavrov continued.
“A new takeover government will face very difficult tasks,” he added. “We hope that the situation will be kept under control.”
“The end of combat operations should immediately follow the start of political processes, formation of legitimate bodies of power, agreement of foundations and principles of a future democratic setup of a state in the interests of all its citizens and with observance of independence and territorial integrity of Libya,” the Russian minister added.