During today's meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Libya, organised by the German Presidency of the Council, talks centred around the current situation in the country and the progress of efforts for peace and a political solution.
I reiterated our position: that in order to be applicable and viable, any solution must be Libyan-owned, must be based on International Law and on respect for human rights, and must always be aligned with the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations and the Conclusions of the Berlin Process, which are reinforced by the recent Cairo Initiative.
I further stressed the need for an immediate end to foreign interference and for adherence to the arms embargo, two parameters that fuel the dispute with the sole result of causing further instability in the country and the wider region.
In this context, Greece is actively supporting the UN’s efforts for an immediate ceasefire and a return of the rival sides to the negotiating table, aimed at achieving a political solution. Greece's goal remains peace in Libya and the establishment of security and stability in the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean — and our contacts, such as my meeting with the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, last week in Libya, are part of this effort.
Additionally, I underlined the importance of the European operation ‘IRINI’ for the monitoring of the arms embargo, an operation in which Greece is an active participant.
In conclusion, I stressed that no talks regarding Libya will bear any fruit if the fact that international legality is being blatantly violated in Libya remains ignored; on one hand, through the ongoing illegal transport of war material and mercenaries and, on the other, through illegal memoranda aiming at usurping the sovereign rights of third countries, as is being attempted against Greece and by violating the Libyan arms embargo.
In this respect, I noted that Greece will do everything in its power to observe international legality and to achieve peace in Libya and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
July 8, 2020