Pompeo says U.S. wants to work with Russia on Libya, reminds Lavrov on arms embargo

Record ID: 1447655

  • Title: Pompeo says U.S. wants to work with Russia on Libya, reminds Lavrov on arms embargo
  • Date: 11th December 2019
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 11, 2019) (STATE TV) WIDE OF SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO WALKING UP TO PODIUM, GREETING JOURNALISTS POMPEO GREETING JOURNALISTS JOURNALIST AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO SAYING: "So we want to work with the Russians to get to the negotiating table, have a series of conversations that ultimately lead to a disposition that creates what the U.N. has been trying to do for an awfully long time. Foreign Minister Lavrov told me directly yesterday, he is prepared to be part of that, to continue it. I reminded him that there is a weapons embargo that is still in place in Libya and that no nation ought to be providing incremental material inside of Libya, and that we have reached out not only to the Russians, but to others who are providing weapons systems there and saying it's not in the best interest - if we're gonna get to a political resolution, that is not the appropriate path forward. It only creates more risk, more violence, and moves us further away from the political resolution that Libya so desperately needs and that will ultimately be the pathway to getting a Libya with a governing coalition that gets the outcome right there." POMPEO LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 25th December 2019 17:04
  • Keywords: Lavrov Libya Pompeo Russia State Department Trump
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B9J9EFB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The United States wants to work with Russia to end the conflict in Libya, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday (December 11), but he added that he reminded Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov a day ago of the arms embargo that is in place on the North African country.
    "We want to work with the Russians, to get to the negotiating table, have a series of conversations that ultimately lead to a disposition that creates what the United Nations has been trying to do," Pompeo said at a news conference.
    Libya has been divided since 2014 into rival military and political camps based in the capital Tripoli and the east. Fayez al-Serraj's government is in conflict with forces led by Khalifa Haftar based in eastern Libya.
    Washington last month called on the LNA to end its offensive on Tripoli. Pompeo on Wednesday said the United States has called Moscow and other parties to cease sending weapons.
    "I reminded him (Lavrov) that there's a weapons embargo that's still in place in Libya and that no nation had to be providing incremental material inside Libya," he said.
    The U.S. military believes that an unarmed American drone reported lost near Libya's capital last month was in fact shot down by Russian air defenses and it is demanding the return of the aircraft's wreckage, U.S. Africa Command said last week.
    Pompeo declined to comment on that incident.
    (Production: Pavithra George)
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