Libya: G7 urges solution to political stalemate
With little progress towards a united Libya being made, rising international pressure to end the country’s political stalemate was reflected in a closing declaration to the recent G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy.
The G7 called on Libya’s rival administrations to engage in meaningful, good-faith dialogue to overcome the country’s administrative quagmire on June 15th, according to The Libya Observer.
Libya has been locked in a political stalemate since 2014, with rival administrations governing in its East and West.
In a draft final declaration of their Italy summit, G7 members emphasized that the only viable path towards free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections in the North African country was with a UN-facilitated political process.
The statement reaffirmed the G7’s commitment to stability, independence, territorial integrity and national unity in Libya. It also urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a new special representative without delay.
READ: Libya: What now after UN special envoy resignation?
Former special representative to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, resigned in frustration on April 18th after his attempts to resolve political rivalries were “met with stubborn resistance, unreasonable expectations, and indifference to the interests of the Libyan people,” as reported by AP.
The 50th summit of the Group of Seven, which includes the US, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Canada, and Japan ran from June 13th to 15th.
The Libya Observer / AP
