Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle has decided to establish a German liaison office in Benghazi. At the beginning of the week, an experienced diplomat was chosen to head the office. In the next days, a German mission will arrive in Benghazi to clear up all the practical questions involved in the opening of a liaison office.

The goal of the German liaison office is to establish continuous contact with the Interim National Council there and to assist the German support measures for the population of eastern Libya. Germany has already made available seven million euro in humanitarian aid for Libya.

Already at the end of April/beginning of May, the head of the Federal Foreign Office’s work unit for humanitarian aid was in Benghazi to assess the need for humanitarian aid and support the implementation of German aid measures.

Establishing a German presence was also a topic of the talks between Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle and the member of the Interim National Council responsible for foreign affairs, Mahmoud Jabril, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Contact Group on Libya on 5 May in Rome. The Interim National Council is a legitimate point of contact for the German Government and the other members of the Contact Group regarding the concerns of the Libyan people.