ISTANBUL, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday said Turkey and Russia would continue to work together for a lasting cease-fire in Libya.
Speaking alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at a press conference in Istanbul, Cavusoglu said there are no disagreements between Turkey and Russia on the core principles regarding the issue of Libya.
The planned visit of Russian foreign and defense ministers to Turkey on Sunday with a focus on Libya was postponed to a later date, the Turkish Foreign Ministry had announced without providing further details.
"We decided that it would be more beneficial to continue the talks with Russia at a technical level, especially for the cease-fire to be permanent," Cavusoglu added. "After all issues would be clear, we have to come together at the ministerial level."
He also noted that the cease-fire in Libya couldn't be unilateral, and it wouldn't be realistic to make decisions without considering the views of the Libyans.
The North African country has been torn by a raging civil war, between the Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli and the Libyan National Army and its allies based in the east.
Meanwhile, Zarif said Turkey and Iran have been working to reopen their border and resume flights after they were suspended more than three months ago due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his speech, the Iranian minister also denounced the United States for tightening its sanctions to damage the Iranian economy during the pandemic. Enditem
