Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (9 March) telephoned the UN Special Envoy for Libya, Abdelilah Al-Khatib.

On behalf of the German Government, Foreign Minister Westerwelle pledged the UN Special Envoy full support in carrying out his tasks. He emphasized also the need to step up pressure on the Libyan regime. This included the imposition by the UN Security Council of further targeted sanctions on Libya’s ruling family.

A few days ago UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed former Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelilah Al-Khatib as his Special Envoy for Libya. His mandate is to evaluate the current humanitarian situation and other consequences of the violent clashes as quickly as possible through discussions in Libya and the surrounding region, and to provide the United Nations with a comprehensive picture of the situation. Germany had pressed from the outset for a Special Envoy for Libya to be appointed.