Libya’s foreign affairs ministry has criticized the holding of regional consultations on the North African country without the participation of the Tripoli authorities, reiterating the principles of sovereignty and official state representation.
On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity expressed its reservations over the organisation of meetings on the Libyan file without Libya’s direct involvement.
The reaction notably targets a meeting scheduled in Tunis between Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and the United Nations mission, focused on developments in Libya’s political process.
In an official statement, the ministry stressed that any discussion concerning Libya’s political future must take place with the participation of the Libyan state, represented by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sole body officially mandated to speak on behalf of the country in international forums.
Tripoli holds that excluding Libyan authorities from such consultations undermines the principle of national sovereignty and weakens the legitimacy of the initiatives undertaken.
The ministry nevertheless reaffirmed its openness to any genuine regional or international initiative aimed at supporting a political settlement to the Libyan crisis. It emphasised that such efforts can only be deemed credible if they fully respect Libya’s sovereignty and refrain from bypassing its legitimate institutions, calling for coordination based on inclusion and formal recognition of the Libyan state.
At the same time, Tunisia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the holding of a meeting of the tripartite consultation mechanism on Libya, organised in coordination with the United Nations mission. The meeting seeks to review efforts by Libya’s three neighbours—Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria—to support inter-Libyan dialogue and contribute to a lasting political solution.
The meeting is taking place in Tunis with the participation of Tunisian, Algerian and Egyptian foreign ministers, Mohamed Ali Nafti, Ahmed Attaf, and Badr Abdel Aaty respectively, in the presence of Hanna Tetteh, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya.
In its statement, Tunisian diplomacy said the meeting “reflects the determination of the leaders of the three countries to intensify consultations and joint coordination” with the aim of contributing to a comprehensive resolution of the Libyan crisis.
The reservations voiced by Tripoli, however, highlight the persistent tensions surrounding regional consultation formats and the sensitivity of any initiative undertaken without the direct involvement of the Libyan authorities.
MK/AK/lb/as/APA