Russia to ask France to explain recognition of Libya's TNC

Moscow, Mar 12 Russia intends to ask for clarifications from France regarding its recognition of Libya's Transitional National Council (TNC), an official here said.

"I think I will not break a big secret, if I say that the same question was addressed to France's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Alain Juppe, when he called his Russian counterpart on Mar 11," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

"In this conversation Sergei Lavrov pointed out that the French decision was an internal affair of that country. But the need to represent the interests of Paris in Libya makes us to ask for clarifications."

"Alain Juppe said that France had not severed relations with Libya and that Paris was counting on Russia''s preparedness to continue to represent its interests in that country," Lukashevich said. "The French minister also said that France intended to establish contacts with the Transitional National Council, which did not mean breaking official relations with Tripoli."

"In this connection, we said that as a country representing the interests of France in Libya we shall notify the Libyan leadership of that to obtain confirmation of its consent to the further performance of these functions," Lukashevich concluded.

PTI (Itar-Tass)