The United States and several other countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have urged all Libyan parties to use an international roadmap to advance a Libyan-led political process toward elections.
“We welcome the Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the roadmap developed by UN SRSG Hanna Tetteh, and urge all Libyan stakeholders to use this roadmap and UNSMIL facilitation to advance a Libyan-led political process toward unified governance and elections,” said the statement released by the governments of the US, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
The countries also affirmed their commitment to support increased military and economic coordination between western and eastern Libyan stakeholders.
“We welcome Libyan efforts to integrate Libya’s security forces and urge Libyan leaders to take further steps to expand and institutionalize east-west military coordination and unification,” they said.
The statement also urged steps to strengthen Libyan economic institutions, notably the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Central Bank of Libya (CBL), and Audit Bureau.
It lauded the appointment of an official chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) via a decree issued on September 29 and the Unified Development Program Agreement signed by representatives of the House of Representatives and High State Council on November 18.
“These steps have the potential to set Libya on a path toward more sustainable economic policy and greater prosperity, laying the groundwork for successful implementation of the NOC’s program to boost energy production and economic growth, bolstering the CBL and Libya’s financial stability, and providing for development projects throughout the country with a mutually agreed oversight framework,” the statement said.
It added that increased economic and security integration is essential to ensuring Libya’s sovereignty, security, and long-term prosperity.
“A strong and prosperous Libya with unified economic, military, and political institutions is in all of our interests.”
Meanwhile, US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos said in a statement released by the US embassy in Libya that Washington “will remain at the forefront of the effort to overcome divisions and achieve lasting peace in Libya.”
“We will continue leading diplomatic initiatives to help Libyan stakeholders build on the momentum for a strong, prosperous, and unified Libya,” he added.
