Panafrican News Agency

Top EU officials meet Libyan PM al-Sarraj in Brussels to discuss Libyan crisis

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - European Council President Charles Michel met with Mr. Fayez Al Sarraj, the head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), in Brussels on Wednesday in the presence of the EU's new High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy (PESC), Josep Borrrel, to discuss the raging Libyan crisis.

Officials said Michel and Borel promised the GNA leader that the EU will step up efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

For his part, Mr. Al Sarraj affirmed his support for a political solution to the conflict in his country.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is leading the offensive against Tripoli, was received by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who warned him of the risks of a destabilization of the entire region and called for the abandonment of the military option.

It was reported that a meeting between Mr. Al-Sarraj and the Italian Prime Minister was cancelled, as the Libyan official cancelled his trip to Rome.

The imminent arrival of Turkish troops in Libya was at the centre of the meeting in Cairo on Wednesday between the foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.

They sent a message to Turkey to respect international legislation regarding the sharing of territorial waters in the Mediterranean's gas-rich areas, which are claimed by Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece.

They also called on Turkey to respect Security Council resolutions on Libya.

-0- PANA AK/JSG/BBA/MA 9Jan2020