President,

I thank Special Representative Hanna Tetteh for her briefing, and welcome the Permanent Representative of Libya at today’s meeting. Today is the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. Like other colleagues, I would like to express my best wishes to all women diplomats, and thank them for their contribution to multilateralism and the cause of the United Nations.

Recently, the security situation in Libya has been unstable. The outbreak of armed collisions in Tripoli has made it clear that its security situation remains fragile and the maintenance of security and stability is still a top priority. All parties to the conflict should fully consider the common interests of the Libyan people, strictly implement the ceasefire, and refrain from taking any further actions that may aggravate tensions. China welcomes the series of measures taken by the Presidential Council and the Government of National Unity to stabilize the situation. We encourage all parties in Libya to strengthen dialogue and communication and to establish comprehensive, lasting, and balanced security arrangements as soon as possible to prevent the recurrence of violent conflicts. The international community, UNSMIL in particular, should provide full support and assistance in that regard.

Libya has long been mired in a political stalemate. Promoting the political process is the key to lasting stability in the country. China welcomes and supports SRSG Tetteh’s active engagement with all parties in Libya and  her mediation efforts to help them bridge political differences. Last month, the UNSMIL Advisory Committee issued its first report, which puts forward recommendations on promoting national elections. We hope that UNSMIL will strengthen consultations with all parties in this regard, fully respect the will of the Libyan people, and build a broad consensus on how to move forward with national elections. China has noted the holding of the plenary meeting of the International Follow-up Committee on Libya of the Berlin Process, and encourages the international community to continue to uphold the Libyan-led, Libyan-owned principle and make good use of all kinds of resources and tools to support the early conclusion of Libya’s political transition and realization of its unity. China stands ready to continue to participate actively in the relevant process.

President, 

At present, Libya’s economic challenges have intensified. Issues such as shortage of foreign exchange, inflation, and currency depreciation may affect social stability and bring about more unrest if they are not addressed in a timely manner. The international community should support Libya in speeding up public financial management reform and reaching a unified budget as soon as possible, so as to lay a good foundation for economic stabilization. Libya’s frozen overseas assets are the common wealth of the Libyan people, and the relevant international financial institutions should protect and manage the frozen funds properly and respond positively to Libya’s reasonable request for reinvestment of the funds. Libya is rich in oil and other resources and was once one of the better developed countries in Africa. We believe that with the support of the international community, the Libyan people will be able to lead their country onto the road of rejuvenation at an early date. China is a good friend of Libya. We firmly support its efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and is ready to play a constructive role in its early realization of lasting peace, development, and revitalization.

Thank you, President.