US Should Not Prevent UN From Appointing Envoy For Libya - Lavrov

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2020) The United States should not put up obstacles for the UN Secretariat in appointing a special envoy for Libya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference after an online meeting with the foreign ministers of the African Union Troika, comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and South Africa, Lavrov recalled that following the resignation of Ghassan Salame the position of envoy for Libya is still vacant.

"Now the situation looks like this. Since Ghassan Salame resigned, the United Nations' mission has been led by an acting special representative.

By coincidence, that acting special representative is a US citizen. I would very much not like to see the United States holding hands of the UN Secretariat preventing the appointment of a full-fledged special representative expecting their compatriot to be doing some things that we do not understand," Lavrov said.

The UN Support Mission in Libya has been without a chief since French-Lebanese scholar Salame resigned from his post, citing frustration with the settlement process. It is now headed by US diplomat Stephanie Williams in an acting capacity.