France, UK, US, Italy welcome Libya agreement to end transitional phase

BY Libyan Express Mar 02, 2019 - 16:43

France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States have welcomed in a joint statement the UN leadership in convening the Head of the Presidential Council Fayez Al-Sarraj and the commander of the self-styled army in eastern Libya Khalifa Haftar on February 27 and commended the efforts of the Government of the United Arab Emirates to facilitate this discussion.

The countries reiterated on Friday their strong support to the ongoing efforts of UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Ghassan Salamé and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to deescalate tensions in Libya and help the Libyan people chart a path toward credible and secure elections.

“We welcome the announcement by UNSMIL that a political agreement could be reached on the need to end the transitional stages in Libya through holding general elections, and on ways to maintain stability in the country and unify its institutions.”

The remarks add that the countries urge all parties to be mindful that there is no military solution in Libya.

“We call on all Libyans to work constructively with SRSG Salamé and seize this vital opportunity to realize a stable and unified government that can deliver security and prosperity for all Libyans.” The statement added.

The countries also welcomed the announcement by the Government of National Accord that parties have agreed to resume oil production at the Sharara oilfield.

“All sides should promptly implement this agreement in order to allow the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to resume its vital work for the benefit of all Libyans.‎ These Libyan resources must remain under the exclusive control of the NOC and sole oversight of the Government of National Accord, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolutions 2259 (2015), 2278 (2016), and 2362 (2017).” The statement reads.

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