The Russian-Turkish initiative for a ceasefire in conflict-torn Libya is a step in the right direction and a positive influence on the conflict parties, spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry Rainer Breul said on Friday
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2020) The Russian-Turkish initiative for a ceasefire in conflict-torn Libya is a step in the right direction and a positive influence on the conflict parties, spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry Rainer Breul said on Friday.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed on a common stance on Libya and called for a comprehensive ceasefire starting midnight January 12. They also urged all conflict parties to begin negotiations.
"We welcome the ceasefire, with no exact dates but an immediate and prolonged ceasefire. Any such influence on conflict parties should be assessed positively. It is a step in the right direction, the decisive thing will be for all parties to lay down arms," Breul said at a press briefing.
Earlier in the day, the German government's spokesman Steffan Seibert said that Chancellor Angela Merkel had confirmed in a phone conversation with Erdogan that the Libyan crisis required a political solution.
Libya has been living through a severe political crisis since a coup in 2011 that toppled leader Muammar Gaddafi. Two rival administrations have since practically split the oil-rich country into a political duopoly, with the Libyan National Army (LNA) controlling the east and the Government of National Accord (GNA) controlling the west.
The situation has escalated over the past several weeks as LNA commander Khalifa Haftar ordered his troops to advance on the GNA-held capital of Tripoli. The city has already experienced being a battleground of a similar attack in April that had left hundreds of people killed and thousands more injured. On Monday, the LNA declared full control over the strategic coastal town of Sirte.
