Libya - Q&A - From the Press Briefing (30 September 2019)
Q - Do you have a date for the Berlin conference on Libya ? What position and message will France bring to Berlin?
A - A meeting co-chaired by the French and Italian foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 26 in New York brought together the UN secretary-general and his special representative for Libya; the foreign ministers of Germany, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates; American, British, Chinese and Russian representatives as well as EU High Representative Federica Mogherini; the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki; and the secretary-general of the Arab League.
This meeting helped strengthen the international consensus on ending the crisis in Libya. There is no military solution in Libya. That is why France is calling for a ceasefire and a return to the political process, under the auspices of the UN and on the basis of the parameters agreed to by the Libyans at the Paris and Palermo conferences and at the Abu Dhabi meeting, to pave the way for elections. They include the reunification of Libyan institutions and the economic and security reforms that are crucial to stabilizing the country.
The New York meeting allowed the international community and regional actors to express their unity and their determination to support the UN mediation effort conducted by the UN secretary-general’s special representative, Ghassan Salamé.
It contributed to the international community’s efforts on behalf of Libya, particularly ahead of an international conference that Germany offered to host in Berlin this fall. It also bolsters the central role of the African Union, which together with the UN will co-host an inter-Libyan conference, as part of the special representative’s plan, which received the G7’s support at the Biarritz summit.