EU's Borrell pushes for peace talks in Libya
Brussels, Sep 3 (IANS) Josep Borrel, the European Union’s (EU) high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, has pushed for peace talks in Libya after the country’s partners showed determination to implement a ceasefire understanding announced on August 21.
Brussels, Sep 3 (IANS) Josep Borrel, the European Union’s (EU) high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, has pushed for peace talks in Libya after the country’s partners showed determination to implement a ceasefire understanding announced on August 21.
During his first visit to Tripoli, Borrell on Tuesday met Fayez Serraj, Libya’s UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj and Aguila Saleh, speaker of the eastern-based House of Representatives, reports Xinhua news agency.
The top EU official reiterated the bloc’s support to an “inclusive Libyan-led” and “Libyan-owned” political resolution.
The discussions focused on the required mediation efforts and de-escalation, including the enforcement of the UN arms embargo and the role of the EU operation IRINI in its implementation, it said.
Borrell’s visit to Libya followed an understanding reached by Serraj and Saleh on August 21, which calls for a ceasefire, talks about the return of foreign fighters during the next round of the 5+5 military talks, modalities for lifting the oil blockade and re-launch of the political process leading to an agreed reform and eventual elections.
According to an EU statement, the bloc described the Berlin process, which began in 2019, as “the only international framework that offers a realistic opportunity” for the political dialogue needed to bring the Libyan conflict to an end.
The Berlin process on Libya is an effort initiated by Germany and Ghassan Salame, the then special representative of the UN secretary general.
In January 2020, a broad-based conference took place in Berlin to promote consensus and to secure an international climate for the intra-Libyan talks.
High-level representatives of Algeria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey, the Republic of the Congo, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US attended the conference, together with representatives of the UN, the African Union, EU and the League of Arab States.
–IANS
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