Military Intervention in Libya Only Possible Under UNSC Permission

Any military operations against terrorists in Libya are possible only under UN Security Council sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Any military actions against terrorists in Libya are possible only if the UN Security Council members grant their permission, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

“We know about what’s being discussed openly and not so openly on plans of military intervention, including with the situation in Libya. Our common position is that this is possible only under the UN Security Council’s decision,” Lavrov said during a joint press conference in Moscow with Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui.

Libya has been in crisis since the 2011 overthrow of long-term leader Muammar Gaddafi and the subsequent civil war. There are currently two governments in Libya: the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the Tripoli-based General National Congress. The two sides came to an agreement on December 17, paving the way to the formation of the Government of National Accord.

On Sunday, top diplomats from France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the EU foreign policy chief issued a joint statement, saying that the instability in Libya would end only in case political unity, along with an inclusive and functioning government, was reached.