Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on the situation in Libya
Mr.President,
We thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya A.Bathily and Permanent Representative of Japan Ambassador Ishikane for the briefings.
At the outset, let me extend our condolences to the people of Libya over numerous casualties and large-scale devastation caused by the storm and floods in the North-East of the country. May I convey the words of sympathy and support to the bereaved families and wish speedy recovery to the injured. Russia was among the first to send search and rescue teams from our EMERCOM to Libya, alongside with humanitarian aid and equipment. We note that many other countries also did so. For more than ten years, Libya has been struggling to recover after NATO’s illegal intervention, therefore it is hard for the country to overcome consequences of the natural disaster all by itself.
Mr.President,
Despite the unity of the Libyan people in the face of natural calamities, we must note with regret that the political process in former Jamahiriya has entered a low-intensity phase. Against the persisting duality of power, no prospects of a sustainable settlement can be seen at this moment. Even in the current conditions, the country remains split, which affects the security situation. The recent months have been marred by clashes among armed groups. There are outbreaks of violence both in the East and in the West of the country. We reiterate our call to exercise restraint and abstain from solving problems by force. Further destabilization is the last thing the long-suffering Libya is in need of at this point.
The crucial issue on the Libyan agenda is preparation for and convening of presidential and parliamentary elections to form unified power authorities where all Libya’s regions and leading political forces will be equally represented. This would put an end to the current depressing situation.
In this regard, we continue to monitor the situation at the constitutional track of Libyan political process. We note the importance of the activities of Joint 6+6 Committee, the Libyan House of Representatives, and the High Council of State to agree on a legislative framework for the electoral process. After quite some time, the delegates were able to find a compromise and endorse a finalized version of documents ratification of which the Libyan House of Representatives had announced at the beginning of October. We call view the results of the work of 6+6 Committee with all seriousness.
Mr.President,
We reaffirm that our approach to Libya’s political settlement remains unchanged. Speaking of parameters of the political process, the central coordinating role should belong to the Libyans themselves, without imposing external "ready-made recipes" or unrealistic and artificial deadlines. The electoral process should be transparent and genuinely inclusive. It should cover, on a non-discriminatory basis, the full range of the leading political forces of the former Jamahiriya, including representatives of the former authorities.
We support the efforts of SRSG Bathily in promoting a country-wide political process in Libya, the cornerstone of which is the convening of presidential and parliamentary elections. In the best-case scenario, the two votes should take place at the same time.
Mr.President,
We are convinced that in the current circumstances it is only possible to achieve the much needed progress in Libya through the joint efforts of all Libyan actors and influential global and regional players, with the assistance of the United Nations. We once again emphasize that Russia is ready to cooperate with all interested stakeholders. Any attempts to use the situation in Libya to solve geopolitical and economic problems, i.a. in the hydrocarbons market are inadmissible.
On the issue of the cancellation of foreign military presence, we have consistently advocated a synchronized, balanced, gradual and phased withdrawal of all non-Libyan armed groups and military units without exception, so as not to disturb the balance of power.
In conclusion, I would like to express our concern over the situation around Libyan frozen assets, which remains really complicated. In that regard, I underscore that the attention of Security Council members should focus on the true problem, which is the issue of protection of Libyan funds that are held in foreign banks. These assets must not be used as a source of profit for non-Libyan financial and banking entities. There has been a steady increase in the number of relevant complaints from Tripoli before the UNSC Sanctions Committee 1970. We call on all countries to take this issue seriously and give due consideration to Libya's requests.
Thank you.
