France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement saying they warmly welcome the results of the UN mediated Fourth Round of the intra-Libyan Joint Military Commission (5+5).
They added that they also welcome the conclusion by the Libyan parties of a permanent cease-fire agreement and the announcement by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya of the launch of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum which gathered remotely for the first time on October 26.
They called on the Libyan parties to abide by their commitments and implement the agreement in full.
“The stage is now set for the next crucial step of the intra-Libyan dialogue with the upcoming meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Tunis, starting on November 9. During the LPDF, the Libyan themselves will agree on the future institutional framework of the country and on a path of stability, security and prosperity,” the joint statement reads.
The EU countries said they share and support the overall objective of the LPDF to generate consensus on a new unified governance framework that will lead to holding national elections in the shortest possible timeframe. This will help to restore Libya’s sovereignty and the democratic legitimacy of Libyan institutions.
“In this crucial phase we support the call by UNSMIL to assure an orderly transition towards the future institutional framework and for all to work responsibly towards a positive outcome of the LPDF, which remains the only viable option to overcome the Libyan crisis,” the statement concluded.
The Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, Stephanie Williams, announced a “permanent” ceasefire agreement on October 23, between the delegations of Libya’s warring parties in Geneva.