By Sami Zaptia.
London, 13 February 2021:
Over the past two days, Special Envoy for Libya and Head of UNSML Jan Kubis continued his introductory calls with Libyan interlocutors, UNSMIL reported yesterday.
Domestically, he spoke with Khaled al-Meshri, President of the High State Council, Ahmed Maetig, caretaker Deputy President of the Presidency Council, and Fathi Bashagha, the Tripoli Minister of Interior.
He acknowledged their work to achieve progress in political, economic, and security files, and thanked them for their active participation in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).
UNSMIL reported Kubis sought their views on the next steps to ensure the swift formation of the new interim government (Government of National Unity – GNU), and further advances in the economic, social, and security areas, in creating unified structures and authorities, in moving forward on national reconciliation, as well as on implementation of the Roadmap with a view to holding national elections on 24 December 2021.
The UNSMIL head also spoke to Khalifa Haftar to discuss developments and priorities, in particular in the security file, where he welcomed his support for the implementation of the 23 October ceasefire.
Kubis continued with his consultations with international interlocutors following his previous contacts with Minister of Foreign Affair of Morocco, Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Mr. Heiko Maas, Minister of State of the United Kingdom, Mr. James Cleverly and with high political representatives of the League of Arab States, Secretary-General Mr. Ahmed Aboul Ghait, the African Union, Commissioner for Peace and Security Mr. Smaїl Chergui, the NATO, Deputy Secretary General Mr. Mircea Geoana, and the European Union, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Mr. Joseph Borell’s Head of Cabinet.
He also had consultations with Political Envoys/representatives of France and Italy, and Permanent Representatives (PR) to the UN in New York of Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, France, UK, and PRs to the UN in Geneva of Libya and Switzerland, as well as with Libya Ambassador to Switzerland.
This week, Kubis consulted with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Mr. Sameh Shukri and his team, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, of the Russian Federation, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, of France, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, and separately with his team, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, Mr. Othman al-Jerandi, and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ambassador Takahashi Katsuhiko, as well as with political directors and/or ambassadors of UK, USA, France, Italy, and Germany to Libya, and Qatar and Russian Federation Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York.
