UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on a visit to Moscow, met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev today amid mounting Russian concern that Western actions in the Libya conflict were exceeded a UN mandate. Russia abstained on a UN Security Council resolution that sanctions the NATO air campaign in Libya, refraining from using its veto. But Medvedev last week warned against a "loose interpretation" of the UN resolution, and Foreign Minsiter Sergei Lavrov has expressed regret that the West was being increasingly drawn into the conflict. Ban, speaking at the start of his talks with Medvedev today, said Russia could play an important role in settling regional conflicts and dealing with global challenges.
compiled from agency reports
compiled from agency reports