The Russian diplomatic mission in Washington denied rumours saying that Moscow is seeking to establish a military base in Libya.
The Russian embassy in Washington considered the statements of the Assistant US Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs, David Schenker, regarding the establishment of a military base in Libya as a “poison for relations” between the two countries.
The mission expressed its regret for the practice of “high-ranking officials in the American administration to spread false information and poison the relations between Moscow and Washington,” according to the Russian news agency Sputnik.
Russia maintains two military bases (air and sea) in Syria, the first in Lattakia and the second is a naval facility in the province of Tartus.
Last week, Russia expressed its appreciation for the Egyptian peace efforts, which it described as “positive” towards the Libyan crisis.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi discussed by phone the developments of the crisis in Libya, and confirmed their joint determination to ensure the launch of Libyan negotiations as soon as possible.
Egypt launched a comprehensive and joint peace initiative known as the “Cairo Declaration” last week, which received wide international and Arab praise, especially as it emphasizes the unity, territorial integrity and independence of Libya as well as respects all international efforts, initiatives and Security Council resolutions.
The initiative was based on the outputs of the Berlin conference, which resulted in a comprehensive political solution that includes clear implementation steps (political, security and economic tracks), respect for human rights and for the agreements struck by countries concerned with the Libyan crisis.