The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the foreign ministers of Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – Luigi di Maio, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Heiko Maas and Dominic Raab, respectively – called on Tuesday 7 January for an end to foreign interference in Libya (see EUROPE 12393/30).
“Continuing outside interference is fuelling the crisis. The more the Libyan warring parties rely on foreign military assistance, the more they give external actors undue influence on sovereign Libyan decisions, to the detriment of the country's national interests and of regional stability”, they denounce in a joint communiqué issued at the end of a meeting in Brussels. This meeting replaced a joint trip to Libya planned for Tuesday and cancelled at the last moment for security reasons.
In addition to calling for respect for and strict application of the United Nations arms embargo, the High Representative and the four ministers stress the need “to avoid unilateral actions such as the signing of agreements which further exacerbate the conflict” (see EUROPE 12387/33) or “actions which create a pretext for external interference that are contrary to the interests of the Libyan people, as well as to European interests”. Although Turkey is not explicitly mentioned in the statement, in front of the press, Mr Borrell specified that the country was targeted (see EUROPE 12396/2).
“The greatest urgency is to stop the fighting in and around Tripoli and we have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities”, the High Representative added, while the statement recalled that there is no military solution to the crisis and that prolonged conflict will “exacerbate divisions, increase the risk of partition, spread instability across the region and aggravate the threat of terrorism. An immediate cessation of hostilities is therefore crucial”, the five politicians urge. The heads of European diplomacy therefore insist on the need for a political solution.
“The Berlin Process (led by Germany) and the UN mediation efforts put the needs of all Libyans to the forefront and suggest sustainable solutions to core issues such as unifying institutions, distributing the country’s wealth equitably, and outlining a realistic roadmap towards a political settlement”, they said. They therefore urge all Libyan parties to “sincerely” support these United Nations-led efforts and to resume negotiations.
“The EU will continue to support the UN mediation and will help implementing any decisions that may be taken in Berlin”, they warn, while one of the objectives of the meeting was to discuss how the EU can further contribute to UN mediation and a swift return to political negotiations.
Speaking to the press, Mr Borrell said that Europeans should speak with all relevant actors, whether it was the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Fayez el-Sarraj, or General Khalifa Haftar. “We will continue to try to keep in touch with Libyan actors in order to express [the European position] directly to them”, he promised.
The High Representative and Ministers will meet on Friday 10 January in Brussels for an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council (see separate news item) where they are expected to discuss Libya.
In the meantime, this Wednesday, the Italian and French ministers are also going to Cairo for a meeting with their Egyptian, Cypriot and Greek counterparts, again to discuss Libya (see EUROPE 12397/18). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Agathe Cherki)