Brussels, 20/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 20 July, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced that the EU is considering sanctions against Libyans who do not cooperate with the conflict settlement process. “As the EU, we are close to adopting sanctions”, she told a press conference, stating that the EU had started considering names. Mogherini added that the EU would like a discussion within the United Nations. “It's the whole international community that must put pressure” so that those who do not take part in the negotiations might do so, and so that the inhabitants of Tripoli might enjoy stability and peace, she said.
The government of Tripoli has not signed the UN-proposed peace agreement initialled on 11 July. In Mogherini's view, while this agreement is “good autonomously”, because it was out of the question a few months ago, it is nevertheless a “partial” agreement and could lead to a comprehensive agreement. “The Council asks all parties in Tripoli to participate in the agreement”, Mogherini added.
She reiterated that the EU is ready to bring economic support, and support in terms of security, to the national unity government when this is set up - which Mogherini hopes will be “in the coming weeks”. The EU is also reportedly ready to release €100 million to help the new Libyan authorities.
Elsewhere, the Council expressed its solidarity to Italy, after the kidnapping of four Italians earlier in the day. “This shows the urgency of the crisis management. The urgency is not going to go away - on the contrary, it's going to get greater”, Mogherini stated. She said that the EEAS was ready to help Italy if needed, and that the member states wanted to contribute to any initiative that the Italian authorities might decide to set up. The four Italians work for a construction company and were kidnapped in the region of Mellitah, in west Tripoli. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)