Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he hoped a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the arrest of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will not harm efforts to defuse the crisis in Libya, RIA Novosti reported.
"I am not in a position to speak about the impact of the ICC ruling on the entire complex of efforts to resolve the conflict in Libya. I just hope it won't have a negative impact," Lavrov said after talks with Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa on Tuesday.
The Hague-based court said on Monday it had "reasonable grounds to believe" that Gaddafi ordered the murders and persecution of civilians.
Warrants were also issued for Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi.
Thousands of people have been killed in the four-month uprising.
Libya has rejected the warrants, saying they were based on "falsified charges."