Brussels, 14/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday 13 September, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini hailed the “important progress” in the talks on reaching a political agreement in Libya for the formation of a national unity government. She called for this agreement to be finalised “in the coming days”. Bernardino Leon, the special representative of the United Nations secretary general, announced during a press conference the same day that a consensus for the formation of a national unity government had been found, but that it still had to be ratified by the rival Libyan authorities.
Although progress is “encouraging”, “it is now urgent to bring the talks to a swift conclusion and close the deal”, Mogherini stated in a press release. “I expect all participants will engage constructively in the interests of all Libyans to finalise an agreement in the coming days”, she added. According to Leon, 14-15 September are “crucial in particular for knowing if one of the two Libyan authorities, based in Tripoli, confirms its agreement”. A previous agreement in mid-July was rejected by the Tripoli authorities.
Mogherini underlined that Leon had “all the EU's wholehearted support” in helping facilitate the swift signature of the agreement. She reiterated that a national unity government was “crucial to establishing a peaceful and stable Libya, and end a crisis that has inflicted suffering on the Libyan people and pushed the country to the brink of disaster”. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)