Libyan premier Al-Sarraj hold talks in Brussels

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - The EU pledged to make “efforts towards a peaceful and political solution” for the Libyan conflict after the visit of the leader of Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) to Brussels.

The EU Council’s President Charles Michel and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell discussed the recent developments in Libya with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj on Tuesday.

The EU leaders repeated the bloc’s position on rejecting all kind of military solutions and foreign interference in the conflict, and stressed that it’s the Libyan people who need to determine their future, and “only a political process can bring peace and stability closer.”

President Michel reiterated the EU’s position on Turkey-Libya pact on maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean as well. According to the EU, the memorandum doesn’t have any legal consequences for the internal community, because it infringes upon the sovereignty of other states, and does not comply with the internationally recognized Law of the Sea.

Turkey and Libya's GNA also signed a pact on military cooperation in November. Last week, Turkey’s parliament passed a motion allowing the government to send troops to Libya. The decision was criticized by various EU actors in the past days. High Representative Borrell called it a “foreign interference” in the conflict, that the EU rejects.

Al-Sarraj held separate discussions with the EU Parliament’s President David Sassoli.

Michel will visit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Jan. 11 in Istanbul to discuss the situation in Libya. He will continue his diplomatic tour and meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.