German FM asks Fayez Al-Sarraj to stay in office until inter-Libyan talks end

01 Novembre 2020

Tripoli, Libya, October 30 (Infosplusgabon) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has on behalf of the Chancellor of Germany asked the Chairman of the Presidential Council in Libya, Fayez Al-Sarraj to remain in office and exercise his powers throughout the period of talks between the Libyan parties.

"From Germany's point of view, this is important to ensure the continuity of the leadership of the Libyan government during this period," said Mr. Maas.

This request was expressed on Friday in a telephone conversation between Al-Sarraj, and Mr Maas, said a statement from the Presidential Council's Media Office.

According to the statement, "the conversation was about what President (Al-Sarraj) announced on September 16 about his willingness to hand over his functions to a new authority".

In this regard, Al-Sarraj clarified his point of view, saying that "the departure of all current faces from the scene will help to find a way out of the crisis."

He said that he has received numerous requests and invitations from the High State Council, the Parliament in Tripoli, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, civil society institutions and leaders of friendly countries, calling on him to carry on with  his functions until a new Presidential Council is chosen, to avoid a political vacuum.

In this context, Mr Al-Sarraj thanked "everyone for this confidence and said that all he aspired to was for Libya to overcome this ordeal and achieve security."

He asked the Dialogue Commission to take  charge of training the new executive authority to assume its historical responsibility away from personal or regional interests and to accelerate the formation of the authority, as well as to put the nation's interest above all other considerations.

In their telephone conversation, they  reviewed the impact of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in both countries and the preventive and precautionary measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus and the importance of coordination to address its risks.

The discussion also covered the latest developments in Libya, as the Chairman of the Presidential Council expressed "his thanks and appreciation for the efforts of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German government to resolve the Libyan crisis and its effective role in achieving tangible progress in this direction".

The conversation focused on the results of the meetings of the 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission within the framework of the military-security track adopted by the Berlin Conference, which succeeded in reaching an agreement for a permanent ceasefire.

The statement said that in this context, the Chairman of the Presidential Council reiterated the need for the implementation of the provisions of this agreement to ensure that Libyan cities and vital sites are not exposed to any threat in the future.

The political and economic tracks and the expected results of the meetings to be held during November were also discussed. Both parties agreed on the importance of meetings on the political track leading to the presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible.

Both sides expressed concern about interference by foreign powers seeking to share areas of influence in Libya, assuring that a solution would be possible in a way that preserves Libya's unity and sovereignty if foreign interference ceases.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/VVC/GABON2020

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