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By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 9 July 2015:
Mayors from Benghazi, Zintan, Sebha and Gharyan as well two Libyan municipal coordinators met European . . .[restrict]officials in Brussels today as part of EU efforts to build relations between Libyan municipalities and Europe as well as further encourage them to take a leading role in ending the current political crisis.
The specific aim of the one-day meeting, organised by the EU’s Committee of the Regions and members of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), was to foster cooperation between Libyan and European mayors and to integrate Libyan municipalities into planning and projects within the European/Mediterranean area.
The meeting was designed to build on the relationships created last March when over 30 mayors met EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini and other EU officials in Brussels and discussed the role they could have in pushing for a peace deal to end the Libyan crisis.
In a message from Mogherini today, the smaller group of mayors were told that the EU would soon launch “an ambitious programme” of support for several municipalities local government issues and delivery of services as well as crisis and post-crisis planning and economic development.
Mogherini also said that she admired the way the municipalities had already taken a lead in trying to end the current crisis with their own local moves at reconciliation.
“The fact that you have remained in contact and put differences aside to discuss and agree important measures like ceasefires and prisoner exchanges is something for which I wish to express my admiration and recognition,” she said.
So as to develop ties between Libyan and EU municipalities, which the Libyan mayors said they wanted to do, it was announced today that Libyan participants would be invited as observers to the next ARLEM session in Nicosia in January 2016.
“Through a genuine partnership and active participation within ARLEM, we wish to initiate a new dynamic cooperation which can assist with building administrative capacity to facilitate economic, social and territorial development in Libya,” said CoR president Markku Markkula.
Those Libyans present at the Brussels meeting today were Benghazi Mayor Omar Barasi, Mustafa Baruni (Zintan), Yousif Budeiri (Gharyan), Hamid Al-Khal (Sebha) along with Abdelrauf Beitelmal (focal point of the Working Group representing a number of Libyan municipalities, set as coordination and follow-up mechanism with the UN and the EU after the meeting held in Brussels on 23-24 March within in the framework of the UN-led Libyan dialogue process) and Allam Al-Fallah (Political Advisor of Mayors of Eastern Region of Libya). [/restrict]
