Italian, French, German FMs visit Libya

Tripoli, March 26 The Foreign Ministers of Italy, France and Germany visited Libya's capital Tripoli and met with the war-torn country's newly-appointed Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

The meeting on Thursday discussed the return of European countries and flights to Libya, strengthening European diplomatic presence in Tripoli, and addressing illegal immigration, according to a statement issued by the Government of National Unity (GNA).

The statement also said the officials exchanged views on various issues of common interest and preparation for the upcoming Libyan elections later this year, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The delegation conveyed to the Prime Minister the keenness of their countries to consolidate stability in Libya, due to its great importance in the stability of the neighbouring countries and the Mediterranean basin, and that this visit is a unified European message to support the efforts of the Government of National Unity," the statement said.

The Foreign Ministers, comprising Luigi di Maio (Italy), Jean-Yves Le Drian (France) and Heiko Maas (Germany), highlighted readiness of their countries to provide support and assistance to the Libyan Government of National Unity to fulfil all its obligations regarding many issues of priority, the statement added.

The Libyan Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the position of Germany, France, Italy and all European partners for their support to Libya, expressing willingness of his government to strengthen cooperation and friendship with all countries in order to enhance Libya's role in achieving security and stability in the region and the world.

The UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) recently selected a new executive authority for the country.

Moahmmed Menfi was appointed as the President of the Presidency Council along with the new Prime Minister, whose government was granted confidence by the House of Representatives earlier this month.

The new government's main task is to hold general elections in the country on December 24, 2021, as agreed by the LPDF.

Libya plunged into chaos after the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi's government in 2011, witnessing prolonged conflict between the eastern-based Khalifa Haftar-led Libyan National Army (LNA) and the UN-recognised Government of National Accord in the country's west.

Due to the protracted armed conflict, political and economic crises and the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 1.2 million people, including over 348,000 children, require humanitarian assistance in Libya, according to the Unicef.

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( With inputs from IANS )