BERLIN, 21 October 2020 / PRN Africa / -- A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (21 October) on the agreement reached by Libyan parties in the 5+5 talks in Geneva:
We expressly welcome the fact that the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks have started successfully in Geneva. After two days of negotiations, initial results have already been achieved, which will lead to direct relief for the Libyan people. This is another step in the right direction and it shows that when Libyan stakeholders come together directly at UN‑mediated talks, a genuine intra‑Libyan political solution can be reached.
We call on all Libyan parties to use the constructive atmosphere to make further progress towards a lasting and comprehensive ceasefire. We also expect all international partners to support this process without reservation.
The German Government will continue to do all it can to assist the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and acting UN special envoy Stephanie Williams. This applies both to the ongoing 5+5 talks and the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, due to begin on 26 October.
Background information:
Direct talks between military representatives of the Libyan conflict parties in what is known as the 5+5 format started in Geneva on 19 October under UN auspices. Today (21 October) UNSMIL announced the first points on which the parties had reached agreement, including the reopening of land and air routes across Libya. The negotiations will be continued in Geneva over the next few days and will focus on a formal permanent ceasefire (to replace the current temporary one). As announced by UNSMIL in early October, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum is to meet on 26 October so that intra‑Libyan political talks can also be continued. These will initially be held digitally, with face‑to‑face meetings envisaged in Tunis from early November. The formats for the talks were agreed at the Berlin Conference on Libya this January and endorsed by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2510 (2020).
SOURCE Federal Foreign Office, Federal Republic of Germany