Rabat – The delegations of the Libyan High Council of State and the Parliament of Tobruk have reached an agreement after five days of talks in Bouznika, Morocco.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the two parties announced that they reached a comprehensive agreement on the criteria, mechanisms, and objectives for “assuming positions of sovereignty,” according to Morocco’s Foreign Ministry.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita congratulated the two parties on the success of the talks.
The dialogue confirmed Morocco’s “beliefs that Libyans are able to find solutions to their problems without tutelage or foreign influence” and “determine Libya’s best interests,” Bourita underlined.
He said the High Council of State and the Parliament of Tobruk “are the cornerstone” to a solution in Libya, and their unity is essential for a future of national prosperity.
The Moroccan minister thanked all international actors and countries that expressed their support for the initiative in Bouznika.
Moving forward
The Libyan parties vowed to continue the dialogue launched in Morocco on September 6 and meet during the last week of September to finalize the agreement.
The High Council of State and the Parliament of Tobruk called on the United Nations and the international community to support Morocco’s efforts to facilitate a political settlement in Libya.
The delegations thanked Morocco and King Mohammed VI for supporting the rival parties’ diplomatic efforts. They stressed that Morocco’s assistance will help them overcome the crisis and work towards meeting the Libyan people’s hopes for a peaceful, secure, and stable democracy.
The Libyan statement said the Bouznika dialogue enjoyed a “friendly and fraternal atmosphere dominated by understanding and consensus.”
Nefarious foreign interference in Libya could create a “very dangerous situation that threatens the integrity of the state, its territorial integrity, and sovereignty,” fueling wars and regional instability, the statement continued.
The High Council of State and the Parliament of Tobruk met in Morocco with the aim of overcoming their differences, aware of the “serious repercussions” of Libya’s political and institutional division.
Such a division has created poor living conditions for the people of Libya and weakened Libyans’ confidence in the country’s legislative, executive, and monitoring institutions.
The parties affirmed that the talks in Morocco were in accordance with Article 15 of the Skhirat Agreement and an affirmation of the outcomes of the Berlin Conference, both of which support a political solution to the Libyan crisis. The Bouznika dialogue was also in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
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The end of the Libyan dialogue in Moroccco
The Libyan dialogue in Bouznika has proven successful, affirming Morocco’s role as a key mediator in the Maghreb.
The talks from September 6-10 aimed to preserve the August 20 ceasefire and provide the rival Libyan parties with a platform to discuss means of moving forward, free of harmful foreign meddling.
Before the talks concluded on Thursday, the two parties announced in a joint statement on Tuesday that they had “achieved important understandings that include setting clear rules aimed at eliminating corruption, reducing the waste of public money, and ending the state of institutional division.”
The dialogue follows the July visit to Rabat of the President of the High Council of State, Khalid Al Mishri, and the Speaker of the Tobruk Parliament, Aguila Issa Saleh.
During the visit to Morocco, the Libyan officials reiterated that the 2015 Skhirat Agreement must be the basis for any solution to the crisis. Al Mishri pointed to a need to update the agreement to account for developments over the last five years.
Al Mishri also expressed his willingness to return to Morocco to engage in dialogue with the rival Libyan party.
