Russia: Certain Countries Taking Advantage of Libyan Crisis

Vasily Nebenzya, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations said that some “countries are taking advantage of the Libyan situation to control Libya’s resources, which belong to its people only.” He said that the “oil revenues should only be in the interest of the Libyans.”

Nebenzya underlined how “keenly interested” Moscow was in “constantly observing the Libyan scenario.” He stressed the importance of “stability and security, not only for the people of Libya but also for the overall growth of North Africa.”

During a Security Council discussion on Libya, the Ambassador emphasized that a stable political process, “which must be established and determined by the Libyan people themselves without external involvement, could only lead to a durable settlement in Libya.” The next elections, in his opinion, would serve as the process’s cornerstone.

He expressed the expectation that the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS) “will complete the legal framework necessary to hold the elections, before June of this year. “

Nebenzya welcomed the creation of the 6+6 Joint Committee and the ratification of a new version of the Constitutional Declaration. He emphasised the “significance of equal participation for all political forces, including those from the previous administration.”

The Russian delegate urged the Libyan parties to “be adaptable and ready to come to a reasonable understanding of one another’s positions. This is an essential step in ensuring that the elections in Libya go off without a hitch, and that the nation and the wider area of North Africa experience much-needed stability and security.”

On Tuesday, the UN Envoy to Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Abdoulaye Bathily said that the electoral process in Libya “offers a unique opportunity to mobilize the entire national community so that elections are peaceful, inclusive, free and fair and pave the way for a new dispensation for the Libyans.”

Bathily, in a video conference briefing to the UN Security Council, urged the leaders of the two chambers, the Parliament and HCS to expedite the work of the 6+6 Joint Committee and publish a time-bound work program for elections to take place this year.

He noted that the electoral laws must be completed in time for the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to begin implementing the electoral process by early July.

To promote stability and ensure security during and following elections, Bathily also facilitated a series of meetings in Tunis, Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sebha between the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) and Libyan security and military actors from all three regions of Libya.