Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha Gonzalez Laya met with Tunisian President Kais Saied at the start of a two-day visit to Tunisia to relaunch bilateral relations.
According to the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ media office, the two sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues, especially developments in the situation in Libya.
Gonzalez Laya said that both countries had agreed on the necessity of investment in Libya and other Mediterranean countries that need support to develop and improve their situation to bring peace and stability in the region.
The two ministers emphasized the need to work to achieve a political solution that all Libyan parties would adopt.
“There is a very clear message that countries want to give to those who want to take advantage of the suffering of people by getting involved in criminal activities and human trafficking; we as a democracy, don’t want and don’t tolerate it in our societies,” she said.
Civil war broke out in Libya after the toppling of long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, who was later killed. Numerous militias are fighting for power and influence in the country, with Tripoli-allied militias backed by Turkey, Qatar and Italy. Meanwhile, eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia.