YAROSLAVL, Russia - Russian presidential envoy to Africa Mikhail Margelov said Wednesday Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi is still somewhere in the northern African country.

"I personally think that he is on the Libyan territory, but time will show where he will move in the future," he said on the sidelines of the Global Policy Forum in central Russian city of Yaroslavl.

He added that Moscow is keeping close contacts with Libya's rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) officials.

When addressing the forum, the envoy said he does not think the West triggered the wave of riots and revolutions in the Arab countries.

"The Arab Spring began simultaneously (in many countries)...neither foreign ministries, nor intelligence services predicted it... but the domino effect prompted suspicions that the revolutions were instigated from outside," Margelov said.

But he also warned that extremists in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria are tightening their grip, warning that it is very dangerous for the region.

The Global Policy Forum was established in 2009 as a venue for discussing Russia's modernization, the development of modern state as well as international security issues.