By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 5 June 2013:
The UK’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, arrived in Tripoli from . . .[restrict]Tunis today for a two-day visit aimed at providing practical support for Libya’s transition to democracy and prosperity.
“This is a crucial point for Libya’s transition,” said Burt after arriving in Tripoli, his fourth visit to the country since liberation. “Although Libya has achieved much since the revolution two years ago, the government continues to face serious challenges, including improving security across the country and delivering improved public services to its people”.
He said he would be meeting the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice to discuss how the UK could continue to assist the government in addressing these challenges. “I will also meet the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research to discuss developing further existing good cooperation and collaboration between our two countries in the field of higher education and research, employability and entrepreneurship.”
He said that in his meetings with the Acting President of the General National Congress, Juma Ateega, and the leaders of the main political parties, he hoped to encourage the country’s political leaders to work more closely together to ensure swift progress on political transition and the constitutional process.
“I will also emphasise the importance of women being included in the political process. In Libya’s very successful elections last year, 33 women were elected to Congress. I hope that women will be similarly involved in the Constitutional process and represented in the Drafting Assembly.”
One of the objectives of his visit is to launch a G8 initiative to support SMEs in the country. Named Forsa (Arabic for Opportunity), the initiative is being run by the G8 Deauville Partnership to help the reform process in a number of Arab countries in transition, Libya being one of them. The UK is currently president of the Deauville Partnership which was launched during the 2011 G8 Summit in the French town of Deauville.
A specific intention is to ensure an increased role for the private sector and increase opportunities for young people and women. [/restrict]
