Libyan FM says "Libya's peace, security will not be achieved without regional & int'l support

CAIRO - 24 April 2020: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) Najla al Manqoush said that Libya's peace and security will not be achieved without regional and international support.

Speaking at a hearing session with the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Italian Senate HQ on Friday, the minister described Libya's relations with neighboring countries as "positive".

She further stressed that peace and security in Libya are a priority for the Libyan government, underlining that holding fair and transparent elections cannot be translated into success if the terms and conditions for security and stability are not met.

She called for supporting her country through the UN Security Council to conduct the elections, saying "We must have a security and stability infrastructure that allows us to look forward to the future."

"Irregular migration is a broad issue and a very thorny situation, but above all, it is not a file specific to Libya only, but rather a regional and international file that Libya cannot manage on its own due to the lack of resources." she added.

Manqoush said "dialogue has started with Turkey, but we are determined to withdraw from the country."

Manqoush added, "But at the same time, we are firm in our intentions, and we ask all countries to cooperate in order to remove foreign forces from Libyan lands."

The minister explained that "the matter for us is a priority because our security depends on the withdrawal of foreign forces."