Russia and Libya have signed a series of economic agreements which a Russian official said would pave the way to restoring full ties between the two countries.


The agreements Saturday, including one on economic and trade cooperation, were signed in Moscow by Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Davydov and Libya's Energy Minister, Abdullah Salem al-Badri.


Economic contacts between Russia and Libya have cooled in recent years because of Libya's debt to the former Soviet Union, amounting to $2.4 billion.


The problem was resolved after Libya recognized Russia as the Soviet Union's legal successor, Davydov said, adding that Saturday's agreements will help restore economic and cultural ties.


Such ties, however, are also affected by international sanctions against Libya, such as a ban on supplies of oil-refining equipment, he noted.


"We fully support Libya's striving to work to have the sanctions lifted," Davydov said, describing the sanctions as "having no particularly firm basis."


Davydov told Interfax that the documents signed Saturday provide for projects worth about $1.5 billion. Russian companies will help build oil and gas pipelines, power stations and electricity transmission lines in Libya, he said.