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By Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli, 1 July 2015:
The UNSMIL Draft V peace accord has been welcomed as a “thoughtful and well-balanced basis . . .[restrict]for agreement” in a joint statement put out by seven governments.
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the United States pressed negotiators to reach an early deal. They said they backed UNSMIL chief Bernardino Leon and pledged “significant humanitarian, economic and security assistance to a united Libya as soon as the new government is agreed”.
They made a particular point of welcoming the peace initatives, which despite the lack of a deal at national level, were developing locally, particularly in the west. These, they said, included ceasefires, the exchange of prisoners and the return of people who had fled their homes.
They repeated their belief, made in the wake of Draft IV’s publication, that there was no military solution to the conflict. They stressed that the economic and humanitarian crisis was worsening on a daily basis. They also said they were worried by the expansion of terrorism in Libya.
“We stand ready to support the implementation of this agreement,” they said, “in order to help ensure that a Government of National Accord and all the new institutions function effectively”.
They strongly condemned any attempts to undermine either the local agreements that were emerging or the UNSMIL deal, most especially if these involved the threat of violence. Those who menaced Libya’s peace, stability and security would be held accountable through sanctions.
EU High Representative Federica Mogherini issued a briefer statement saying that she believed the new proposals were a good compromise. She pledged that the EU would also support the National Unity Government [/restrict]
