MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday his country supports the central role of the United Nations in solving international crises in line with the signed agreements.
In a press conference with visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Lavrov said investment projects with Egypt, topped by the Dabaa new clean energy plant, along with the Russian industrial zone in Egypt, will be fully implemented.
The Russian top diplomat said the economic government committee for trade cooperation with Egypt discussed the latest developments in Egyptian-Russian relations.
On Libya, he said the two sides exchanged viewpoints on conditions in the north African country and how regional and international partners extend help to the Libyan people.
Lavrov said his country supports Libya’s election process and efforts to form a unified armed forces, pointing out the two countries see eye to eye on the importance of the withdrawal of foreign troops.
The Russian foreign minister praised the UN diplomatic mission in Libya to achieve settlement to the Libyan crisis.
On tourism between Egypt and Russia, Lavrov said the two sides work to develop the tourist domain and resume flights between Russian cities and Egyptian tourist resorts, pointing out that relations between the two countries improved recently especially in the economic and financial fields.
On the political settlement in Syria, Lavrov said he talked in detail with Shoukry about the Syrian crisis on the basis of resolution 45/22 to maintain the unity of Syria and integrity of its territories.
Asked about the Palestinian cause, the Russian top diplomat said the two countries agreed on the importance of a two-sate solution based on direct talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
He expressed his country’s support for such talks and the resumption of the activities of the quartet committee with the participation of the Arab League and Russia.
The Russian foreign minister said that Egypt exerts strenuous efforts to extend assistance to the Palestinians, adding his talks with Shoukry were fruitful and reflected the size of the high-level cooperation between the two countries.
On terrorist threats in Syria’s Idlib, Lavrov expressed concern about the continued terrorist threats in the Syrian region, pointing out terrorist groups still exist in Idlib and attack units of Syria’s army and Russian troops.
He said that his country supports agreements on the isolation of terrorist groups topped by the Syrian Liberation Front.
On the presence of foreign troops on the Syrian lands, the Russian foreign minister said resolution 54/22 was adopted unanimously at the UN Security Council to reaffirm the unity of the Syrian lands.
On Russia’s relations with Japan after the new changes in the new government, he said they had no time to discuss that issue
