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By Sami Zaptia.
London, 19 May 2020:
The EU’s High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell called Libya’s internationally recognized Libyan Prime Minister, Faiez Serraj, yesterday to discuss the latest developments in the country.
The EU said Borrell conveyed his concerns over the escalation of fighting in and around Tripoli and the increasing shelling on densely populated residential areas, that have resulted in casualties and a deteriorating humanitarian situation.
He also commended the Prime Minister for his government’s openness to participate actively in the Berlin process and reiterated the importance for all the parties of the conflict to halt the fighting, agree on a lasting ceasefire and resume political negotiations.
Borrel underlined the EU’s continued firm commitment to a political solution to the Libyan crisis through the implementation of the Berlin Conference conclusions and reminded Serraj of the EU’s active engagement to advance towards that objective.
The EU reported that Borrell and Serraj also spoke about the EU’s new military Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Operation Irini, which the EU said aims to end the illegal flow of weapons and military equipment to Libya that have been fuelling the ongoing conflict.
The EU said the Operation is one of the EU’s contributions to the return of stability in Libya and an operational expression of its concrete commitment to the UN-led Berlin process on Libya. The Operation is deploying its naval and aerial assets and using satellite imagery to ensure the broadest possible coverage, operating in the framework of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
It will be recalled that the Serraj government had rejected Operation IRINI for failing to stop the flow of arms to the Khalifa Hafter forces by air (from the UAE/Egypt) and land from its eastern border.
