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The Berlin Process on Libya at the General Assembly: Continuing international engagement to ensure that Libya has a choice
Together with his counterparts from France and Italy, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is hosting a foreign ministers’ meeting as part of the Berlin Process on Libya. The next objective is to stay on the ball with international partners to ensure that elections can be held in Libya on 24 December.
A number of Foreign Ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accepted an invitation issued by Germany, France and Italy to attend a meeting of the Berlin Process on Libya on the fringes of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Foreign Minister Maas issued the following statement prior to the meeting:
Libya needs our engagement and the continued attention of the international community. In order to achieve progress for everyone, the elections in December must result in the establishment of democratic institutions. That is above all what the Libyan people themselves are demanding – along with the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries.
Considerable progress has been made in Libya since the Berlin Process got under way
two years ago. Today, there is a Government of National Unity, the oil blockade has ended and the guns have fallen silent. Foreign Minister Maas was even able to reopen the German Embassy in Tripoli two weeks ago on 9 September.
The international community has contributed to these milestones, first and foremost the United Nations, with Germany’s support. However, this progress is not yet sufficient as the upcoming elections must be placed on a widely recognised legal footing. Stakeholders in Libya must do their part to this end. Foreign Minister Maas stated the following in this regard:
If we are to seize this opportunity and consolidate these positive developments, we must move forward. The decisions of the UN Security Council and the roadmap of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum must be implemented to the letter.
The most important outcomes of the foreign ministers’ meeting in New York are set out in the summary of the co-chairing Foreign Ministers from Germany, France and Italy.