Brussels, 13/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 10 April, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called on all the participants in the Libyan national dialogue “to negotiate in good faith and with a spirit of compromise and reconciliation”. The dialogue is due to resume on 15 April.
Mogherini described the resumption of the dialogue as “an important step towards a much-needed political agreement on the formation of a government of national unity and a cessation of hostilities in Libya”. In a joint statement on 12 April, the foreign ministers from Germany, the UK, Spain, France and Italy, and the US secretary of state also called on all the participants in the dialogue to negotiate in good faith, to take advantage of this opportunity to finalise the agreements on the formation of a national unity government, and to make arrangements for an unconditional ceasefire. “Only through compromise can Libya move toward a more secure, stable, and prosperous future”, said Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Philip Hammond, José Manuel Garcia-Margallo, Laurent Fabius, Paolo Gentiloni and John Kerry.
“Now is the time for all groups in Libya to move forward in a spirit of compromise. Further delay in reaching a political agreement only deepens the schisms in Libyan society and emboldens those who seek to profit from the ongoing conflict”, they stated.
In the view of these six heads of diplomacy, extremists are using the lack of order to their advantage, “causing further suffering and bloodshed” both inside and outside Libya. The six heads of diplomacy also urged the parties to the UN-facilitated dialogue to come together and form a united front both to confront terrorists and to address the root of the problem in a coherent manner, including by offering a vision of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Libya and by providing essential services to the Libyan people.
The six heads of diplomacy also called on all the parties to cease fighting and said they expected Libya's leaders to support the UN special representative Bernardino Leon fully and to engage in the UN-facilitated political dialogue. “In particular, we call for the immediate cessation of airstrikes and ground offensives. Such provocations undermine the UN talks and threaten chances for reconciliation”, they stated.
“All groups in Libya should refrain from actions that increase tensions at a time when Libyan parties are engaged in a decisive stage of the political dialogue”, said Mogherini, stating that those who continued to undermine the talks would be identified by the international community and held accountable for their actions. The six foreign ministers also reaffirmed that those who threaten the peace, stability or security of Libya, or undermine the successful completion of its political transition, may be designated by the UN sanctions committee.
The international community, including the EU, is prepared fully to support a unity government as soon as it is formed. During their Council on Monday 20 April, the European foreign ministers will discuss concrete means for supporting the new authorities and related security arrangements. Mogherini is expected to put forward her proposals for CSDP (common security and defence policy) missions. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)