EU stresses importance of political solution to Libyan crisis

European ambassadors to Libya on Saturday held meetings with senior Libyan officials and stressed the importance of a political solution to the current crisis, reported Xinhua.

The ambassadors of EU members Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the charges d'affaires of Hungary, the Netherlands, and Poland, together with the ambassador of Norway, held joint meetings in Tripoli with Prime Minister Fayez Serraj, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Siala, and Chairman of the National Oil Corporation Mustafa Sanallah, according to a statement issued by the EU Delegation to Libya.

The officials underlined the importance of engaging fully in all tracks of the UN-led process to reach a permanent and sustainable cease-fire agreement, the lifting of oil blockade, and the resumption of political dialogue, the statement said.

"There can only be a political solution to the current crisis, which would take the country towards parliamentary and presidential elections," the statement added, calling for efforts to ensure that women are participating and represented at all levels in the ongoing political process.

The envoys also reiterated their support for all reform efforts by Libyan authorities in the security sector, and also expressed concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation, worsened by the accelerating electricity cuts, and the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Libya.

Meanwhile, the statement said that the Turkey-Libya maritime deal signed in November 2019 "does not comply with the Law of the Sea and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states."