Libyan Rivals Pledge to Support Tunis Dialogue

Meeting between representatives of Libya’s east-based parliament and High Council of State, attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (Morocco’s Foreign Ministry)
Meeting between representatives of Libya’s east-based parliament and High Council of State, attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (Morocco’s Foreign Ministry)
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Libyan Rivals Pledge to Support Tunis Dialogue

Meeting between representatives of Libya’s east-based parliament and High Council of State, attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (Morocco’s Foreign Ministry)
Meeting between representatives of Libya’s east-based parliament and High Council of State, attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (Morocco’s Foreign Ministry)

Representatives of the east-based parliament and High Council of State held this week a two-day meeting in Morocco that was attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

The lawmakers met in the coastal town of Bouznika, south of Morocco’s capital Rabat, for talks that come ahead of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) scheduled in Tunisia on November 9.

MP Essam al-Jihani, who attended Wednesday's talks, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the conferees agreed for the United Nations Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL) not to sidestep the legitimate bodies, especially in the decision-making mechanism.

Talks resulted in “comprehensive understandings” on the mechanisms and criteria for filling so-called sovereign positions in Libya in line with Article 15 of the Skhirat Agreement of December 2015.

The posts include the Central Bank governor, heads of the Audit Bureau, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Administrative Control Authority and the head of the Supreme Court, as well as chairperson and members of the High National Electoral Commission (HNEC), the Libyan Investment Authority and the National Oil Corporation.

In a joint press statement on Thursday, the conferees stressed the significance of political dialogue and willingness to support its course and enhance its chances of success.

They highlighted the importance of both parties to the dialogue assuming responsibility in maintaining the democratic path and preventing any foreign intervention in the political process.

Bourita said talks have created a positive dynamic and optimism on reaching a solution to the Libyan crisis.

On Monday, Tunis is scheduled to receive around 74 Libyan figures from across the political spectrum to participate in the UN-mediated LPDF.

The forum aims to set a date for holding general elections in the war-torn country, according to UN acting envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams, who expressed hope that “the political class will rise to the same level of national responsibility that we saw in the members of the Joint Military Committee.”

Rival Libyan military officers agreed last week on a roadmap for implementing a ceasefire deal reached in October.



Lufthansa to Resume Flights to Tel Aviv from Thursday

 Lufthansa planes stand parked as Frankfurt airport is closed to passengers with planned departures due to a strike organized by Verdi union, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Lufthansa planes stand parked as Frankfurt airport is closed to passengers with planned departures due to a strike organized by Verdi union, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Lufthansa to Resume Flights to Tel Aviv from Thursday

 Lufthansa planes stand parked as Frankfurt airport is closed to passengers with planned departures due to a strike organized by Verdi union, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Lufthansa planes stand parked as Frankfurt airport is closed to passengers with planned departures due to a strike organized by Verdi union, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 7, 2024. (Reuters)

Germany's Lufthansa will resume its flights to Tel Aviv from Thursday, according to an update from the company, one of a number of airlines to alter their schedules amid fears of an escalation in the Middle East conflict.

The airline had announced in early August that it was suspending flights to the Israeli city, repeatedly extending the suspension measures until up to and including Sept. 4.

Lufthansa said in an emailed statement late Monday that its flights to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, would remain suspended up to and including Sept. 30.

Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, triggered by a shock assault by the group in October 2023, has stoked parallel hostilities between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, leading to concerns about a broader regional conflict.