G7 FMs warn against military escalation in Libya, urge restraint

Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-07 02:39:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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PARIS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries expressed on Saturday their "deepest concerns" about the tense situation in Libya where forces led by General Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya launched a military advance toward the capital Tripoli.

"We reaffirm that there is no military solution to the conflict in Libya. We reiterate our deepest concern about military operations in the West of Libya as expressed in our joint statement of April 5th. We call on all Libyan parties to facilitate the timely implementation of the UN Action Plan," said the ministers in a communiqué.

The ministers called on all Libyan actors to show restraint and willingness to compromise and put the interests of the Libyan people first, while reiterating that Libya's oil facilities, production, and revenues belong to the Libyan people, and must not be used by any party for political gain.

They also underscored the need for the international community, regional partners, and multilateral organizations to continue supporting the UN's efforts toward an inclusive Libyan-owned solution.

General Haftar, who has forces loyal to him in eastern Libya fighting the UN-backed government in Tripoli, on Thursday ordered his forces to move westward and take over the capital.

Since the 2011 uprising to oust former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been plunged into chaotic violence and political instability which helped the terrorist cell flourish and put the security of the Maghreb region at risk.

Struggling to make a democratic transition, the North Africa's main oil exporter still suffers a political division with two rival parliaments and governments battling for legitimacy.

The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, gathered in Dinard and Saint-Malo in northwest France on April 5-6 to exchange views and coordinate action with respect to building a more peaceful, inclusive and secure world, and the goals articulated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

They discussed issues related to global peace and security, in particular the behavior of state and non-state actors in cyberspace, peace operations in Africa, the full and effective participation of women in peace processes, and promoting the implementation of International Humanitarian Law.

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