Officials from France, Germany, Italy, and the US have reiterated the importance of implementing the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) Roadmap, which would lead to holding the Libyan elections scheduled in December.
UN Special Envoy to Libya Jan Kubisch, accompanied by Assistant Secretary-General/UNSMIL Coordinator Raisedon Zenenga, held a meeting on Tuesday with Special Envoys, Ambassadors and other senior officials representing France, UK, US, Germany and Italy in the P3+2 format.
The aim of the meeting was to advance the implementation of the LPDF Roadmap leading up to the holding of national elections on December 24, and the full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement.
An official from the Independent High Electoral Commission told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper there is a race against time to ensure that the elections are held on time.
The meeting’s participants reiterated the importance of committing to the date of elections on 24 December and of expediting the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters and forces from Libya, in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, including the recently adopted UNSCRs 2570 (2021) and 2571 (2021).
“The meeting also discussed possible next steps to implement the LPDF Roadmap and the UNSC Resolutions,” UNSMIL said in a statement on its website.
It further added that “within the same context and objectives and in the light of the political and security situation in Libya and the region, the Special Envoy held telephone conversations with high -level representatives of the GIS of Egypt, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov and NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană.”
In an attempt to resolve the obstacles hindering holding the elections on time, Minister of Finance Khaled Al-Mabrouk met with Chairman of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) Imad Al-Sayeh.
Mabrouk stressed the importance of the role entrusted to the commission, underscoring the need to give it full support.