Libya, Merkel: "Everyone agrees on political solution and arms embargo"

• The Conference on Libya begins in Berlin. Al Sarraj and Haftar divided over everything
• Libya, distant peace
• Libya. Haftar stops oil exports. UN plan: truce and new government

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"All states agree that we need a political solution and that there is no chance for a military solution." Angela Merkel speaks to the press at the end of the Berlin international conference on Libya. "We have developed a very broad plan - he says -, everyone has collaborated in a very constructive way, everyone agrees that we want to respect the arms embargo with greater controls than in the past".

From the round table on the crisis, which kept the leaders busy for four hours, a document of 55 points emerged. Al Sarraj and Haftar did not participate. They never met and followed the work in separate rooms of the German Chancellery. "They have many differences between them and they don't talk to each other," Merkel confirms. "They were not part of the conference, we informed them separately." It was the German Chancellor and Foreign Minister Maas who told them the central points of the document, mediating and pocketing the yes of the two Libyan leaders for the monitoring of the truce and the intra-Libyan conference. "The commission to deal with the ceasefire in Libya will meet next week," says Merkel. Today in Berlin "we have not solved all the problems" but "we have created the spirit, the basis for proceeding on the UN path designated by Salamé".

At the press conference, together with Merkel, there are also the Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and the special envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salamé. The latter speaks of "a wonderful day for Libya".

Salamè: wonderful day for Libya, now implement
"Today is a wonderful day," says Salamè. The envoy hopes that everything decided today can be implemented from tomorrow.

Guterres: Everyone has committed to ending interference
"Everyone has pledged to withdraw from interference in the Libyan interest," says Guterres. "There is no military solution to the Libyan conflict, all the participants said on several occasions." The political solution in Libya is absolutely necessary, he adds, announcing that in the coming days the '5 + 5' commission will meet in Geneva, a commission for which the two Libyan parties will be able to indicate five members each and that it will have to monitor compliance with the cease fire.

"Europe has an important diplomatic role, as has been clear today, to restore peace in Libya". concludes the UN secretary general. Speaking of the long path that still remains to be faced, Guterres also affirms that Europe will also have an important role in the reconstruction in the future.

The conference
Participants approved a final declaration without substantial changes to the draft circulated previously. The approved document, 55 points, provides - among other things - a permanent ceasefire, an embargo on arms and a political process to reach a single government. Furthermore, the hypothesis of an international presence in Libya to guarantee the application of the ceasefire seems to have made its way among the leaders. The idea, partly revived on the eve of al Sarraj, has rebounded in many statements by the leaders. In particular, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (in favor of a ceasefire, we could send people, experts to monitor this ceasefire), in favor of the Italian Prime Minister. Giuseppe Conte has repeatedly expressed availability.

Russia too seems now open to possibility, according to Mikhail Bogdanov, Vladimir Putin's special representative for the Middle East and Africa, quoted by the RIA Novosti agency. The Russian representative, however, stressed that any decision will require discussion at the UN Security Council, "the only one capable of making binding decisions".

Merkel's mediation is essential to overcome the stalemate between the parties
Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met at Sarraj and Haftar to report the conclusions they had adopted. The two Libyan leaders had no contact, did not sit at the round table and remained in two separate rooms of the German Chancellery, home to the summit. According to Libya al-Ahrar, quoted by the "presidential council delegation" headed by Sarraj, it was the Libyan premier who refused to meet Haftar at the Berlin meetings.

Sarraj and Haftar accept the monitoring of the truce
The two Libyan leaders accepted the monitoring of the truce and appointed the members of the military commission '5 + 5' which, according to the Unsmil action plan, should have the task of monitoring the ceasefire and establishing the line of deployments. In recent days, it was mainly General Haftar who had said he was against the composition of the commission.

During the meeting with Minister Maas, al Sarraj asked that the ceasefire in Libya be accompanied by a commitment by Haftar to stop "any threat" against Tripoli. The head of German diplomacy, according to a note from the Libyan national agreement government, stressed for his part that the ceasefire is a "fundamental step" to relaunch the political process in the country.

Yes also at the intra-Libyan conference
Al Serraj and Haftar also gave their approval to the convening of the intra-Libyan conference, likely to be held in Geneva. The conference date has been approved but is not yet known. Together with the monitoring of the truce, the intra-Libyan conference falls within the points provided for by the Unsmil operational vademecum, adopted as an attachment to the conclusions of the conference.

Count: finally military committee, keep it up
"The members of the Joint Military Committee for Libya have finally been appointed. Go ahead," wrote Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Twitter.

The members of the Joint Military Committee for Libya have finally been appointed. Go on like this. #BerlinConference

In Berlin 18 delegations
Eighteen delegations are participating in the Berlin Conference on Libya which began a short time ago at the headquarters of the German Federal Chancellery. At the head, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, and his special envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salamè. Here is the list of participants:
- UN: the secretary general, Antonio Guterres, and the special envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame '.
- EU: the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; the President of the EU Council, Charles Michel, and the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.
- African Union: the president of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
- Arab League: the Secretary General, Ahmed Aboulgheit.
- Libya: the president of the Government of national agreement, Fayez al Serraj, and his opponent, the general of Cyrenaica, Khalifa Haftar.
- Italy: the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio.
- Use: the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin.
- Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- France: President Emmanuel Macron.
- GB: Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
- Egypt: President Abdel Fattah al Sisi.
- Algeria: President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
- China: Yang Jiechi, director of the office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Politburo.
- Emirates: Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayd al Nahyan.

Guterres: silence the weapons
In Libya "we face a clear risk of regional escalation" and therefore "we reiterate our appeal to all those directly or indirectly involved to do everything to support an effective cessation of hostilities and silence the weapons". It is a passage from the speech addressed by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the participants. "The incessant and blatant violations of the arms embargo - he says - must stop".

"We urge the Libyan parties to engage in good faith dialogue on political, economic and military issues in an inclusive process led by Libya," added Guterres. "The United Nations - he says - are fully committed to continuing our support for this process. Now is the time for immediate and decisive action to prevent a full-fledged civil war. Such a conflict could lead to a humanitarian nightmare. and leave the country vulnerable to permanent division. For the neighboring countries of Libya, in particular the southern Mediterranean and the Sahel region, the consequences are harsh and palpable: more terrorism, more human trafficking, more drug trafficking, arms and people".

Macron: "Stop sending pro-Turkish Syrians, UN stores truce without pre-conditions"
Essentially a warning and a wish the synthesis of the French President's speech. The sending of Syrian pro-Turkish fighters to Libya must "cease", the UN should negotiate a truce "without pre-conditions by either party".

Pompeo: it's time for Libyans to decide their future
"The time has come for Libyans to decide their future for themselves," said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Washington's head of diplomacy urged "all sides to take this opportunity to address the political, economic and security issues that divide them."

Conte: "Revive the government, ceasefire effectively"
"We work for an effective ceasefire and to feed a political process in order to revive the functions of the Libyan Presidential Council and the Libyan Government for a season of reforms that affect the political-institutional, economic and security plan" he wrote on Twitter Prime Minister Conte. "Italy believes in the strength of diplomacy and politics, and considers the military solution unacceptable. We must all share this goal".

Italy believes in the strength of diplomacy and politics, and considers the military solution unacceptable. We all have to share this goal at #Berlin #BerlinConference