BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2020) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday welcomed the readiness of Libya's eastern-based General Khalifa Haftar and his troops to stick to the ceasefire, ahead of the Berlin conference.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas traveled to the North African country earlier in the day for a meeting with Haftar. He tweeted that the general had agreed to keep the ceasefire in place.
"I think it is good news that he is ready to stick to the ceasefire," Merkel said at a press conference with the visiting Croatian prime minister in Berlin.
Berlin will host a high-stakes conference on Libya this Sunday. Haftar will attend it together with his Tripoli-based rival from the government of national accord, Prime Minister Fayezz Sarraj.
Merkel said she expected foreign stakeholders to reaffirm the arms embargo on Libya. The United Nations imposed the ban in 2011 but backers of both warring parties have been slipping weapons into the country.
