Africa
GERMAN Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for sanctions against states that deliver weapons to war-torn Libya, during a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Berlin on Monday.
At a joint press conference, both Maas and Borrell reiterated that a recent international peace plan hammered out in Berlin was only a stepping stone on the road to resolving Libya’s almost decade-long conflict.
World powers agreed to work towards implementing a ceasefire in the country, which has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi and has become a proxy battleground for rival forces.
The Berlin Process is also pushing for a long-ignored UN weapons embargo to be adhered to.
Maas wants the peace plan to be set out in a UN Security Council resolution, which would allow states violating the arms embargo to be sanctioned.
“No one believed that there was a fast solution,” Maas said, responding to a weekend UN report that the embargo continues to be flouted.
“These kinds of problems cannot be solved overnight but we need a point to start with,” Borrell added, praising Germany for launching the process.
The Iran nuclear deal was also a top theme during Borrell’s Germany visit, his first since taking on the top EU job.
Earlier this month, Germany, Britain, and France launched a dispute mechanism against Iran for breaking its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Borrell is charged with coordinating the dispute resolution mechanism.
Both Maas and Borrell stressed on Monday that the Europeans are determined to find a diplomatic solution in order to salvage the deal. (dpa/NAN)
– Jan. 27, 2020 @ 14:05 GMT |
Tags: German minister demands sanctions for states delivering arms to Libya
