Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) is ready to send its representatives to Moscow to hold talks on economic issues, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.
"Now NTC is interested in sending its representatives, who are responsible for economic affairs, here [to Moscow], we confirmed our readiness to hold a meeting," Lavrov said on Sunday at a news conference after talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota.
Before the conflict broke out in Libya, Russia's top oil and gas producers Gazprom, Gazprom Neft and Tatneft had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in exploration in Libya. Russian energy giant Gazprom sealed a deal with Italian energy concern Eni to acquire 33 percent of Eni's shares in Libya's Elephant oil and gas field project worth 113 million euros. The deal has remained in the air as it needs the approval from the Libyan side.
The Transitional National Council has already been recognized as the legitimate power in Libya by some 60 countries. During an international conference on Libya held in Paris on September 1, world leaders agreed to release $15 billion in frozen Libyan assets for the country's interim authorities to help Libya return to normal life after months of violence.
