Context
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.
