London, 1 November:
Wednesday’s vote by the General National Congress approving the cabinet presented by the new prime minister Ali Zeidan has been welcomed by the British government.
“This was an important step forward for Libya.” said the UK Foreign Office Minister for North Africa, Alistair Burt. “I congratulate the new ministers on their appointment and look forward to working closely with them in the coming months. They face significant challenges to improve security, provide services to their people and protect fair and equal rights for all. I hope that they will agree a plan to address these challenges, with the backing of Libya’s General National Congress.”
Burt said that the UK had already informed Prime Minister Zeidan of British willingness to do more to help his new administration “as it seeks to build a secure and prosperous country based on the principles of human rights and the rule of law.”
The UK would give “strong support” to Libyan efforts at state building, he added.
“Our assistance will range from support to the police and security ministries to advice on diversifying and strengthening the private sector, as well as projects designed to help Libyan civil society activists engage with their government.” [/restrict]
