By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office Spokesman Sunday said Pakistan welcomed the endorsement by the Libyan Parliament to the cabinet proposed by the Prime Minister-designate of Libya and the successful formation of the Government of National Unity. In a statement he said, “We wish the Libyan parliamentary and political leaderships every success.”
“We appreciate the resolve of the Libyan people for peace and security, which has led to this outcome. We also acknowledge the positive role played by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), as well as the efforts of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Libya.”
“Pakistan accords high importance to its historically close and cordial ties with Libya. We remain committed to advancing our bilateral cooperation as well as coordination at the regional and international fora,” he concluded.
Meanwhile on Sunday, The Libyan interim government held its first Cabinet meeting after receiving a vote of confidence last week, and the international community continues to welcome the recent developments in the war-torn country.
Headed by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the Cabinet discussed the work plan as well as the plan that the ministers will commit to in order to establish coordination with state institutions. Consisting of 26 ministers, the government is expected to take its oath on Monday. As the government kicks off its work, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has welcomed the formation of the national unity government.
In a statement early Saturday, the council stressed the importance of the “unification of Libya’s institutions, as set out in the road map agreed on by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, held in Tunis, in November 2020.” The statement called on the Libyan government to make the necessary preparations for setting Libya up for “free and fair national presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, 2021.”
The Security Council also called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya.
“The Security Council calls on all parties to implement the cease-fire agreement in full and urges member states to respect and support the full implementation of the agreement,” the statement read.
After two days of intense debate under heavy security in the central city of Sirte, Libya’s parliament on Wednesday approved the Cabinet of Dbeibah.
