Russian diplomat, UN chief talk Syria, Libya on phone

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the situation in Syria and Libya in a phone talk on Monday.

The diplomats discussed in detail efforts of Russia and Turkey to stabilize the situation and ensure a cease-fire in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its official website.

"They also noted the threat of terrorist activity in Syria during the coronavirus pandemic, and stressed the need to ensure lasting security and stability in the country based on the restoration of its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.

Lavrov also asked Guterres to appoint a new envoy for Libya as soon as possible, taking into account the worsening situation in the conflict-hit country.

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to the military offensive by the warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces.