Global Arab Network | UN: Arab League and EU Support No-Fly Zone in Libya

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UN: Arab League and EU Support No-Fly Zone in Libya

Global Arab Network - - George Haddad

Friday, 18 March 2011 17:07

Arab League and European Union announced its support to a UN Security Council resolution on creating a no-fly zone on Libya, stressing that it goes in harmony with the Arab foreign ministers' call on the UN to take such a decision and create safe areas inside Libya to protect civilians from military attacks.

Commenting on the UNSC resolution, Head of the Arab League Secretary General's Office Hisham Youssef said the pan-Arab organization totally supports the move.
The resolution comes in light of the Arab foreign ministers' call on March 12 on the UN to help protect Libyan civilians who are harshly repressed by the regime of Muammar Gaddafi through preventing him from using his air power against protesters and civilians.

Youssef also said the Arab League has received an invitation from France to take Part in a tripartite one-day EU-Arab-African summit on Libya. Secretary General Amr Moussa accompanied by head of a high-ranking Arab delegation would participate in a Paris Summit.

The European Union has welcomed Resolution 1973, approved late on Thursday, by the United Nations Security Council.

"We welcome Resolution 1973 approved tonight by the United Nations Security Council. We fully endorse the UN demand for a complete end to the violence and all attacks against, and abuses of, civilians, and finding a solution to the crisis, " said EU president Herman Van Rompuy and EU and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton in a joint statement.

The statement stressed that the European Union is ready to implement this Resolution within is mandate and competences.
"We underline the important role of the Arab League and our Arab partners. Their cooperation is essential and their role is clearly recognised by the Resolution," it noted.

"We must ensure that we continue to coordinate closely, together with the United Nations, the Arab League, the African Union and other international partners on how we can best contribute as soon as possible to the implementation of the decisions of the Security Council," said the statement.

The EU summit meeting is due next week on Thursday and Friday and the EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday will discuss the situation in Libya and adopt the necessary decisions in that regard, it said.

EU leaders, during their special summit on Libya last week, called on Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Gaddafi to relinquish power immediately and urged Libya to rapidly embark on an orderly transition to democracy through broad-based dialogue.
"Resolution 1973 provides a clear legal basis for the members of the international community to provide protection to the civilian population," it added. On his part, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek in a separate statement said he is glad and relieved that the international community has finally taken concrete action to stop Gaddafi killing his own people.

"The European Parliament has explicitly backed the possibility of a no-fly zone in its resolution of last Thursday. In the coming days, I will discuss with leaders from Tunisia, Egypt and the Arab League how the resolution of the Security Council can be implemented," he added.

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