Reason for Libyan absence from Moscow forum technical - Russian ministry
MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - Russia's Foreign Ministry offered explanations for the absence of a Libyan delegation from a Russian-Arab forum in Moscow on Wednesday.
"Both the level and the composition of the Arab delegation conformed to the Memorandum of Partnership between Russia and the Arab League. Let me remind you that the Arab League 'troika' today comprises Lebanon, Kuwait and Egypt. Moreover, the foreign minister of Iraq as chairman of the latest Arab League summit took part in the Moscow meeting along with the secretary general of the Arab League," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement posted on the ministry website, www.mid.ru.
"All the members of the 'troika' were, are or will hold the presidency in the Council of the League. Instead of Libya, which, according to the original plan, was to head that body next year, the Arab countries have decided to revise that scheme and delegated those powers to Egypt," Lukashevich said.
So instead of the Libyan foreign minister, his Egyptian counterpart, Mohamed Amr, came to Moscow, the spokesman said.
