Head of the Presidency Council Faiez Sarraj and Ghassan Salame, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), discussed on Sunday efforts to hold the National Conference, hoped to pave the way for presidential elections.
They tackled the recent political developments, economic reforms, security issues in Libya and the situation in the southern region. Meanwhile, Salame anticipated that a solution will be reached “soon” among Libyan parties that disagree on the holding elections.
On Saturday, Salame visited Egypt and met with Libyan politicians and activists to discuss developments of the National Conference and the elections. He also met with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, who reiterated Cairo’s support for a political solution in its western neighbor.
Last month, Salame and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said all Libyan parties agreed to hold a UN conference by early 2019 to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections. The Italian initiative was the latest international effort to stabilize the North African state that has struggled with infighting since 2011.
Today, the UN is targeting a national conference that would provide a “platform” for Libyans to speak out their vision for the future.
A meeting on the Libyan settlement was held in Palermo, southern Italy, on 12-13 November. The leaders of the warring factions, EU and UN representatives took part in the summit. After two days of intense talks, the participants agreed to arrange a new conference in Libya.
