The President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Mnifi, held talks with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres on Friday, to discuss the latest politics developments in Libya.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
During the talks, Guterres stressed the importance of holding the upcoming elections as scheduled at the end of this year. He welcomed the steps taken by the country’s Presidential Council to advance the paths of dialogue among all Libyan parties.
In a statement, the UN said that the two sides affirmed the need to ensure the full removal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya and achieve regional stability.
In turn, Al-Mnifi commended the efforts of the UN in supporting the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), to restore stability and build the democratic state that Libyans aspire to. He highlighted the very important role being played by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in helping the success of the political process and paving the way for December elections.
In 2014, eastern and western factions split Libya in two in a civil war, with a Tripoli-based government and a rival administration backed by the House of Representatives (HoR) in the East.
The 24th of December election was mandated by the LPDF, a UN-selected assembly that set a roadmap for peace in Libya, through installing a unity government and holding a nationwide vote.
Until elections are held, the assembly selected a three-man Presidential Council headed by Al-Mnifi and installed Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba as Prime Minister of the interim government.
Last week, Libya’s eastern-based Parliament said it had withdrawn confidence from the unity government, though it would continue to operate as a caretaker administration.
Notably, Al-Mnifi arrived in New York on Monday to participate in the 76th session of the UNGA, where he met with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, in addition to a number of Foreign Ministers of Arab and African countries.