Russia has pledged deeper political and economic engagement with Libya as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted Libya’s acting foreign minister, Taher Al Baour, for talks in Moscow. The meeting underscored Moscow’s bid to reassert itself as a key player in the North African country’s fragile peace process and reconstruction efforts.

Lavrov said Russia is prepared to support Libya in “restoring unity and national reconciliation,” framing Moscow as a partner for a country still divided between rival political and military centers. He stressed that Russia backs a negotiated settlement among Libyan factions and the consolidation of state institutions that have remained fractured since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Al Baour, representing the internationally recognized authorities based in Tripoli, said the Libyan delegation would hold a series of meetings with Russian officials to revive stalled cooperation. He highlighted plans to revisit bilateral agreements that were frozen or disrupted during years of conflict, particularly in energy, infrastructure, and defense-related projects once seen as cornerstones of Russian-Libyan ties.

“We anticipate that we will have the opportunity to engage with representatives of various government institutions of the Russian Federation, work toward the resumption of specific contracts and agreements, and potentially conclude new arrangements,” Al Baour said, signaling Libya’s interest in attracting Russian investment and technical expertise.

Lavrov announced that both sides had agreed to restart the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, a key mechanism for structuring long-term projects. The Russian minister said the commission would be used to “assist our companies in returning to or re-entering the Libyan economy,” suggesting a renewed push by Russian firms into Libya’s oil, gas, construction, and transport sectors.

Russian trade officials attended the talks, underscoring the economic dimension of the visit. Analysts see the revival of the commission as a step toward restoring large contracts signed before Libya’s 2011 uprising, including major railway and energy deals that never fully materialized.

The discussions also touched on broader regional issues. Asked about ongoing contacts between Washington and Tehran, Lavrov said that any agreement resembling the 2015 Iran nuclear deal would be “a major success,” reiterating Moscow’s support for diplomatic solutions to security crises in the wider Middle East.