NEW YORK. Sept 15 (Interfax) - Russia has voted for a British draft UN resolution extending the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until September 30, Russia's First Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said.
"We would like to underline our invariable support for UN efforts, including through the UNSMIL, to advance the Libyan settlement. Russia shares the international consensus about the UN playing a central role in this process," Polyansky said on Wednesday after the UN SC vote on a British draft resolution.
"We are set to continue searching for mutually acceptable solutions to the remaining unsolved issues on the future function of the Mission. This resolution aims to allow all parties to find a common denominator with regard to the UNSMIL work at the upcoming challenging stage of the political process in Libya," Polyansky said.
"Our main priority now is to help Libyans stick to the schedule set for parliamentary and presidential elections on December 24, that is precisely where we should focus all our efforts. We hope all members of the Security Council share this goal," he said.
Earlier, the media reported that Russia and China had opposed the draft because of its clause that allows the UN to remove foreign paramilitary groups from the country.
"We stand for step-by-step synchronized evacuation of all non-Libyan armed groups and formations. Thereby it is essential to preserve the current balance of power on the ground, thanks to which the country could escape the threat of another round of confrontation," Polyansky wrote on Twitter on September 10.