17 April 2025
Mr. President,
We are grateful to the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ms. Hanna Tetteh, for her briefing.
The internal situation in Libya is prone to further deterioration, with persistent diarchy and no visible progress on the political track. Inter-Libyan contradictions are deepening due to the entrenched mistrust of the key parties vis-a-vis one other. At the same time, the situation in both the west and the east of the former Jamahiriya is still quite fragile, which may engender a new wave of destabilization. The current situation of Libya is a grim example of a destructive external intervention that has plunged the country into chaos. Fourteen years have elapsed since then, and a whole generation of young Libyans has come to age in a divided country.
We all pin great hopes on the new Special Representative. You can count on Russia’s full support, Ms. Tetteh, as you endeavor to resolve the crisis in Libya and bring the country back to normalcy. I would like to hope that you will be able to bridge the positions of the opposing sides and bring them to robust agreements regarding the conduct of nation-wide presidential and parliamentary elections. As a result, unified governing bodies should be constituted with equitable representation therein of all regions and all influential political forces of the country without exception. This is the scenario we deem optimal given the current realities.
We urge the Special Representative to focus on working diligently with all stakeholders, to take into account their justified interests and to patiently seek to reach consensus among the sometimes irreconcilable positions of the Libyan protagonists. These expectations also fully apply to the Advisory Committee, which was recently established under the aegis of UNSMIL. We proceed from the premise that the work of the body will be purely technical in nature, and its recommendations would be designed exclusively for the information of the Special Representative. Only after the full rollout of the Committee’s groundwork among the Libyans would it be possible to involve members of the UN Security Council in its work. We cannot allow Libyan stakeholders to have doubts regarding the inclusivity and objectivity of the Committee.
Mr. President,
The central role in coordinating international mediation efforts in Libya naturally belongs to the United Nations and UNSMIL as its key instrument. At the same time, we note parallel efforts undertaken by Libyan players who are sick and tired of the prolonged stagnation in the country and try to revitalize the political process there. In particular, we would like to emphasize the resumption of activity on the inter-parliamentary track, including when it comes to the interaction between the House of Representatives and the Supreme High Council of State, whose recent meeting was held late February in Cairo. We see tremendous potential here.
We also welcome the efforts of African States to establish dialogue between Tripoli and Benghazi. We trust that the adoption of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, signed by Libyans on February 14 with the assistance of the African Union, will contribute to building greater trust and normalizing relations between the two sides of the divided country.
All previous experience shows that bringing stability back to Libya will not be easy. Despite all their efforts, a host of UN representatives – experienced diplomats and professional mediators – were unable to come closer to achieving that goal. What is needed to break the impasse and generate momentum is not only the will on the part of the Libyans themselves, but also the coordinated work on the part of the Security Council and the international community as a whole. Attempts by a number of external players to “privatize” certain aspects of the settlement process, which we’ve observed recently, will only exacerbate the crisis in the country. In order to overcome the current deadlock, it would make sense, in particular, to consider unfreezing the Berlin process in its initial configuration.
Mr. President,
The country’s protracted internal political stalemate has been compounded by a deterioration in the area of security. In the absence of all-Libyan armed forces, various armed groups believe themselves to be legitimate masters of the country. We are alarmed to observe their frequent clashes, which often result in bloodletting. In such circumstances, what would be of pressing importance is integrating various armed components into a unified army that would safeguard stability on the ground, with this process being premised on broad inter-Libyan consensus and the principle of transparency. This would be a step forward that would benefit all Libyans without exception.
Equally important to the success of the political process is redressing the absolutely unacceptable economic situation. Libya is clearly in for an economic crisis given the significant deficit in the state budget and the falling rate of the Libyan dinar; this cannot be changed even by a consistent increase in oil production. The situation can be remedied only through effective cooperation between Libyan stakeholders, without interference from abroad.
Once again, we stress the need to protect the integrity of frozen Libyan assets for the benefit of the people of that country, as stipulated in the relevant Security Council documents. These assets have been blocked not to punish anyone, but rather to safeguard them. At the same time, let us recall that sanctions measures – a potent and flexible tool of the Council – need to reflect present day realities in the country and be regularly revised and modified. It is important for them not to prevent the Libyans from working for the benefit of their country and its well-being.
In conclusion, we would like once again to wish Ms. Hanna Tetteh every success in her new, very important position. Your success will determine the fate not only of Libyans but of many Africans as well, who are still suffering the consequences of the destruction of Libyan statehood in the wake of the NATO aggression in 2011. Libya should finally be able to surmount fragmentation and instability and embark on a path of cooperation between all political forces and progressive economic development.
Thank you.