Welcome
Foreign Minister Maas on Libya
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued the following statement today (17 November) on the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) reaching agreement on a roadmap for parliamentary and presidential elections:
The agreement reached on holding parliamentary and presidential elections in Libya on 24 December 2021 and on the parameters of a transitional executive is a further important milestone on the road to peace and stability. For power to be handed over smoothly, it is now important to appoint the members of the new executive quickly. A call goes out to all parties to the conflict to accept the results of the Dialogue Forum and thus live up to the responsibility they shoulder for the Libyan people.
In recent weeks, the people of Libya have made abundantly clear that they can shape their country’s future independently and peacefully. This is something all those wielding influence from the outside need to respect. The participants of the Berlin Conference on Libya bear a particular responsibility. We expect them not only to implement the arms embargo but also to fully respect the ceasefire agreed by the Joint Military Commission.
Background information:
The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) comprises 75 representatives from the House of Representatives and the High Council of State but also from various spheres of Libyan society (for example tribal representatives, women and youth). After meeting virtually initially, an in‑person meeting was held in Tunis from Monday, 9 November with a further virtual round scheduled for the coming week. The negotiations are being coordinated and led by the United Nations. Germany has helped fund the LPDF contributing more than 2 million euro. Since 2015, Germany has made available more than 270 million euro for stabilisation measures, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in Libya. You can find out more about the LPDF here: https://unsmil.unmissions.org/libyan-political-dialogue-forum. The European Union is also prepared to continue supporting the process and points here to the option of imposing sanctions on spoilers of the political process as outlined in the declaration of 25 October 2020.