MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Moscow expects the French operation in Mali to be temporary, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told a Thursday press briefing in Moscow.
"We believe the French operation is temporary. (UN) Security Council resolution 2085 is the basis of Mali normalization," he said.
"We confirm the need for the soonest transfer of primary responsibility for the settlement of the Mali crisis to the African forces," he added.