Russia mulls insurgents' boycott by UNSC in Iraq

Moscow, June 28 (IANS) Moscow plans to call on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to impose economic boycott on Islamic insurgents in Iraq, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

"We plan to present a draft statement to the UNSC, regarding Iraqi oil produced on the territories seized by the Sunni extremist groups, including Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL)," Xinhua quoted Lavrov as saying at a news conference here.

The diplomat reminded that the UNSC adopted a similar resolution on Libya during a civil war there, calling not to buy oil from the rebel-controlled territories in the North African country.

Purchases of oil from the areas under insurgents' control is equal to financing terrorism, Lavrov added.

He admitted that the UNSC has not reached consensus on whether or not to list the ISIL as a terrorist organisation, saying that "the most obvious things sometimes require long time (to understand)" in the UNSC.

Lavrov also said Moscow is interested to negotiate with the US on the start of anti-terror cooperation in Iraq.