The EU and several European national governments welcomed the entry into force in Libya on Sunday 12 January of a ceasefire between the Government of National Unity (GNA) of Fayez el-Sarraj and the forces of Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
However, the terms of the truce initiated by Turkey and Russia were only negotiated in Moscow on Monday 13 January. Discussions between the two Libyan camps have led to "some progress", said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Fayez el-Sarraj signed the formal ceasefire agreement, but Marshal Haftar, on the other hand, asked for more time to reflect.
A stable and sovereign Libya. The end of the fighting on Sunday was widely welcomed by Europe. "This is a positive first step, but Libya now needs a process to ensure reconstruction and the establishment of a united government," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference in Luxembourg. "It is of the utmost importance that this process be conducted under the aegis of the United Nations," she added, deploring the fact that too many players are involved in the region, "not always for the benefit of the Libyan people".
In a joint statement, the Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union Delegation in Libya also reiterated their attachment "to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya, free from undue external interference" (see EUROPE 12398/1).
The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, also stressed in a statement the importance of a "stable, democratic Libya, free from external interference". He called for the consolidation of the "first fundamental step" of ending the armed conflict, so that a political solution to the crisis could be found.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on an official visit to Istanbul on Saturday 11 January, also welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire. However, he expressed to the Turkish President his concerns about the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Libya and Turkey.
Peace Conference in Berlin. If the truce is prolonged, it should enable a conference to be held in Berlin by the end of January on the situation in Libya and the establishment of a political solution (see EUROPE 12401/2). (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki, intern)