The United States and nine European countries welcome the final agreement on elections and the unification of power in Libya

Paris, August 26 (KUNA) -- The United States and nine European countries welcomed on Wednesday the agreement reached by Libyan parties on elections and the unification of power, reaffirming their continued support for the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). A joint statement released by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “the United States, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland welcome the agreement reached by Libyan parties on August 20 in Tunisia regarding electoral laws and the Higher National Authority for Elections.” The joint statement added, “We commend the Libyan participants for their constructive discussions and their willingness to overcome differences in the interest of Libya and its people,” calling on all relevant Libyan parties to support the agreement and work toward its implementation in response to the aspirations of the Libyan people. It noted that “this agreement is an important and credible step toward holding comprehensive, transparent national elections and unifying institutions.” It also stressed the need for “the recent progress to serve as a foundation for continuing the path of consensus-building and confidence-building, and achieving decisive progress toward building a stable, prosperous, and united Libya.” The statement also reiterated its support for the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, Ghassan Salamé, in facilitating a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process. (End) M.B. / N.A.A.