Chinese envoy calls on Libyan parties to stick to bottom line of peace

UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the parties in Libya to stick to the bottom line of peace and refrain from any action that may complicate the situation.

The 11-year-old conflict in Libya has brought disastrous consequences to the Libyan people with far-reaching spillover effects on Africa, the Sahel region in particular, and the Mediterranean. It is the shared hope of the Libyan people and the international community for the Libyan peace process to stay on the right course, make continued progress, and achieve lasting peace as soon as possible, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

Nevertheless, for some time now, the differences and tensions between the parties in Libya have intensified. The momentum built up since last year is losing steam. The uncertainty of the political process has increased. All these are extremely regrettable and worrying, he told the Security Council.

"The current cease-fire in Libya has been hard-won. A relapse into conflict will unravel all the gains of peace over the past two years," warned Dai.

China has noted that all parties in Libya have generally stayed calm and exercised restraint at this critical moment. China hopes that they will continue to seek political settlement and avoid taking any action that may complicate the situation, he said.

All parties that have influence on the situation in Libya should adhere to the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned principle and play an active and constructive role in this regard, he said.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) should, within its mandate, continue to work with the 5+5 Joint Military Commission in conducting cease-fire monitoring. Foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya should withdraw without delay in a phased, balanced, orderly and organized manner, he said.

The difficulties in Libya's political process are essentially due to the lack of consensus among parties, said Dai. "We hope that all parties in Libya will restore the momentum of dialogue that prevailed some time ago, reach an early agreement on issues vital to the future of Libya, especially on a timeline and roadmap of the political transition, tackle the direct causes of election postponement, and hold elections as soon as possible while maintaining peace and stability in the country, so as to usher in a new chapter for Libya's national development."

China encourages UNSMIL to continue to actively facilitate peace talks. China supports in principle the renewal of UNSMIL's mandate and calls for the appointment of a UN special envoy for Libya as soon as possible.

Growing the economy and improving people's livelihood can help the Libyan people enjoy the peace dividend and bolster the force for peace. Libya's oil production returning to pre-war levels has not been easy to come by. As the main source of Libya's national revenue, the stable production and export of oil should be guaranteed, he said.

The humanitarian situation in Libya has improved. China encourages the international community to actively engage in Libya's reconstruction, and scale up support for Libya's economic recovery and development, said Dai.

The Libyan government has long been concerned about the losses suffered by the frozen assets. The Security Council and the Libya Sanctions Committee should take this matter seriously and adopt practical measures, he said.