No Result
View All Result
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
21 °c
Tripoli
21 ° Wed
21 ° Thu
21 ° Fri
22 ° Sat
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
 
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

French foreign minister pledges to unfreeze $1.9bn assets; announces Afriqiyah deal in Congress address

byGeorge Grant
November 13, 2012
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
French foreign minister pledges to unfreeze $1.9bn assets; announces Afriqiyah deal in Congress address

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius (left) with Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. (Photo: Mathieu Galtier)

12
SHARES
50
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Mathieu Galtier.

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius (left) with Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. (Photo: Mathieu Galtier)

Tripoli, 12 November:

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laurent Fabius, addressed the General National Congress on Monday. It was . . .[restrict]the first time that a foreign minister made a speech before members of Libya’s first democratic parliament.

During his remarks, Fabius reemphasised France’s support for Libya’s democratisation efforts, but warned of the threat posed to the transition by ongoing security issues.

“I am honoured to be the first representative of a foreign government to speak before your Congress in the new Libya; a Libya that is finally free” Fabius said. For the occasion, the Congressmen moved from their usual room to the symbolic one in which the results of the election of the first elected Congress were delivered.

RELATED POSTS

Top law firm joins new British Libyan Business Association

An academy with a difference in Tripoli

More than one year after the fall of Qaddafi, Fabius insisted that France wanted to be a friend who “supports the democratic transition in Libya” following its role as a military ally during the revolution. In this way, Fabius proposed to free-up previously frozen funds belonging to the Libyan Investment Authority, estimated at $1.9 billion in 2011, through the United Nations and the European Union.

Fabius also spoke of the potential for cultural assistance. He said that France would double the number of young Libyans given grants to study in France from 300 to 600 and that French language teaching could be supported by France in Libyan university courses. He also announced that the Louvre Museum in Paris is planning a major exhibition on Libyan heritage next year.

The foreign minister then turned his attention to the challenges Libya must overcome in order to emerge as a true democratic country, beginning above all with security. Fabius strongly condemned the murders of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens together with three of his staff in Benghazi on 11 September: “There can be no democracy without security. There can be no security without re-establishing the authority of the State”, he said.

A conference to address security challenges in Libya will be held in the first week of December, and the French foreign ministry has proposed to hold the meeting in Paris.

Fabius suggested that border security would be an appropriate theme for the conference: “The border control issue is all the more pressing given the unstable situation Sahel”, Fabius said, in likely reference to the crisis in northern Mali.

This instability, he continued, “could have repercussions on your country and the entire region. France will help you in this should you so desire.” Unless these challenges were confronted and overcome Libya could find itself given over to disorder and terrorism, the foreign minister warned.

In a subsequent press conference, Fabius announced that France would not object to the extradition of Bashir Saleh Bashir, Qaddafi’s former chief of staff, on the proviso that he was formally prosecuted and fairly tried.

Fabius also emphasised the importance of the Libyan government respecting minority rights, in particular the rights of women, and the multiparty system.

The foreign minister also took advantage of his visit in Tripoli to announce officially that the Libyan airline Afriqiyah had agreed to purchase ten A350-900 Airbus aircraft in a deal valued at 1.1 billion euros. [/restrict]

Tags: FabiusfeaturedLibya
Share5Tweet3Share1

Related Posts

State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli
Libya

State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

May 29, 2023
FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards
Libya

FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards

May 29, 2023
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

Tripoli Libyan government conducts drone strikes against criminal hideouts in western coast

May 25, 2023
AmCham Libya Networking Breakfast
Libya

US Embassy in Tripoli announces easing of visa protocol: One-year multiple entry visas now replace three-month single-entry visas

May 24, 2023
Ten former antagonists, now presidential candidates, including Hafter, Bashagha and Maetig gather in Benghazi
Libya

Bashagha suspended by HoR as eastern-based prime minister

May 19, 2023
Acting Interior Minister Trabelsi taking steps to counter forged ID numbers and passports
Libya

Acting Interior Minister Trabelsi taking steps to counter forged ID numbers and passports

May 19, 2023
Next Post
Possible foot-and-mouth outbreak reported in Kufra

Possible foot-and-mouth outbreak reported in Kufra

Plight of foreigners in Libya “worse than under Qaddafi” claims Amnesty International

Plight of foreigners in Libya "worse than under Qaddafi" claims Amnesty International

 

Advertise on LibyaHerald

Reach thousands of our site visitors daily

240 x 400px

Advertise Here
ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU

    Tripoli Libyan government conducts drone strikes against criminal hideouts in western coast

    128 shares
    Share 51 Tweet 32
  • State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

    121 shares
    Share 48 Tweet 30
  • US Embassy in Tripoli announces easing of visa protocol: One-year multiple entry visas now replace three-month single-entry visas

    105 shares
    Share 57 Tweet 20
  • Libya and Austria discuss reopening airspace

    79 shares
    Share 35 Tweet 19
  • The Tripoli Libyan Ministry of Transport confirms development plan for Libya-Tunisia Ras Jedir border crossing

    52 shares
    Share 21 Tweet 13
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Cart
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Sign In with Facebook
    Sign In with Linked In
    OR

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Sign Up with Facebook
    Sign Up with Linked In
    OR

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?