Rabat – Morocco has been invited to participate in the upcoming Berlin II Conference on Libya, beginning Wednesday, June 23.
The conference, which is set to start on June 23, will discuss the stability of Libya and the way forward for the country’s transitional government. The meeting is also projected to call for the immediate withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from the North African country, reports Daily News Egypt.
This year, Morocco will be attending the event at the “express request” of the US, according to the Spanish newspaper OkDiario. The move is likely meant as a symbolic gesture to both make up for the controversial exclusion of Morocco from last year’s Berlin talks and break the ice in the ongoing Morocco-Germany fallout.
Also significant, while Morocco has rejoined the Berlin talks this year, Spain has been excluded for the second year running.
Read also: Morocco Reiterates Unwavering Support For Political Solution in Libya
The first Berlin conference on Libya did not meet most Libya watchers’ expectations. Still, many analysts still continue to see the German government’s mediation and trust-building initiative as a critical step towards forming an international consensus that is strong enough to uphold the terms of the UN-led political process to end Libya’s decade-long post-Gaddafi nightmare of the member states and to establish a plan moving forwards.
Morocco, meanwhile, has been a leading advocate for an intra-Libyan political dialogue.
Special Envoy for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Jan Kubis has previously praised Morocco’s efforts for resolving the Libya crisis.
Earlier this month, the foreign minister of Libya’s transitional government visited Rabat to discuss his country’s situation with Morocco’s FM Nasser Bourita. reiterated Rabat’s support for Libya.
Reiterating Rabat’s support for Libya, Bourita told the Libyan minister that Morocco’s government “brings unconditional and unlimited support to whatever is likely to be of service to Libya and the Libyans.”
The Berlin II conference on Libya will see the participation of senior government representatives from Algeria, China, Russia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Other countries set to join the discussions include Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, and the US. There will also be representatives from the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, and the Arab League.
