President Obama on Wednesday told Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that he backs Moscow’s mediation initiatives to resolve the Libyan crisis, but on the condition that Col. Muammar Qaddafi should resign. Repeating a stance recently conveyed by American officials, Obama said in a meeting with the Russian minister in White House that he was “prepared to support negotiations that lead to a democratic transition in Libya as long as Qaddafi steps aside.”

Meanwhile, Russia and China have announced they would not participate in a Libya Contact Group conference due to be held on Friday in Istanbul, which will discuss a Turkish backed road-map for a political solution. Russia, which is against NATO campaign in Libya, has turned down the invitation of Turkey, whereas China, which has adopted a non-interference policy, hasn’t confirmed it will attend the conference.

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US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen will receive a high-level and warm welcome on Sunday when he begins his four-day trip to China, with his counterpart in China himself taking care of all the arrangements. “Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Chen Bingde has examined and approved the schedule and arrangements for the visit in person, and called Admiral Mullen to discuss them,” said Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Yang Yujun at a news conference on Thursday. “China attaches great importance to the visit,” he added. Mullen will lead a 39-member delegation, which will spend two days in Beijing before visiting military centers in Zhejiang and Shandong provinces.

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