BELGIUM: EU leaders expected to urge Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to quit and may decide on further sanctions against his state at extraordinary meeting in Brussels
Record ID:
676985
BELGIUM: EU leaders expected to urge Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to quit and may decide on further sanctions against his state at extraordinary meeting in Brussels
- Title: BELGIUM: EU leaders expected to urge Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to quit and may decide on further sanctions against his state at extraordinary meeting in Brussels
- Date: 12th March 2011
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 11, 2011) (REUTERS) CAMERON WALKING INTO THE EU COUNCIL FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING: "France asks Europe to reaffirm its common desire to see Gaddafi leave, to recognise the authorities Libyan as they have expressed themselves in the council of Libyan opposition. Because nothing is worse than having a country find itself in the situation of Somalia at the time, with no government and no representatives, whatever the questions might be on the other hand of the legitimacy of the right to representation of one or the other of them. The third thing is that France has always been very reserved about a military intervention and a NATO intervention because the Arab revolutions belong to the Arabs." SARKOZY ENTERING THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL VARIOUS OF ARRIVAL OF GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL SAYING: "We will do everything to give a common signal here, that through economic, financial and other sanctions, and underline the common political message that we see no interlocutor and no future for Libya in Colonel Gaddafi. We want to do everything to stop the suffering of the Libyans, but I say quite clearly, we have to reflect carefully on the steps we are to take, so that they lead to a sensible conclusion. I hope that we provide united signal here today as division and power-play will play into the hands of Gaddafi and we do not want that." MERKEL ENTERING THE COUNCIL ITALIAN PRESIDENT SILVIO BERLUSCONI ARRIVING VARIOUS OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, JOSE MANUEL BARROSO ARRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, JOSE MANUEL BARROSO "The problem has a name, Gaddafi. He has to go. We will explore all the possibilities for that to be achieved, in full respect of international law and also working in close cooperation with our allies and partners in the region."
- Embargoed: 27th March 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Belgium, Belgium
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: International Relations,European Union
- Reuters ID: LVA546PLD37HQUQORGP1KNSTH4K3
- Story Text: EU heads of government set to hold an extraordinary meeting on Friday (March 11) are expected to urge Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to quit and may decide on further sanctions against his state.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said the European Union must step up measures to isolate Gaddafi. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has already recognised the Libyan National Council as the legitimate authority, and he and Cameron urged the EU to do the same.
"I think it is the moment for Europe to understand that we should show real ambition about recognising that what is happening in North Africa is a democratic awakening and we should be encouraging these countries down a democratic path and it's a moment for Europe to say: what we've done in the past hasn't always worked, now we should be reaching out to these countries, offering them a new partnership, opening up our markets and welcoming their approach of greater democracy, greater freedom, greater human rights. This is potentially a good moment for our world and we should grab it, and seize it and try and shape it," Cameron said.
"France asks Europe to reaffirm its common desire to see Gaddafi leave, to recognise the authorities Libyan as they have expressed themselves in the council of Libyan opposition. Because nothing is worse than having a country find itself in the situation of Somalia at the time, with no government and no representatives, whatever the questions might be on the other hand of the legitimacy of the right to representation of one or the other of them. The third thing is that France has always been very reserved about a military intervention and a NATO intervention because the Arab revolutions belong to the Arabs," Sarkozy said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she wanted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down right away and does not consider him a valid interlocutor for discussing the future of his country, but said EU member nations needed to find a common stance.
"We will do everything to give a common signal here, that through economic, financial and other sanctions, and underline the common political message that we see no interlocutor and no future for Libya in Colonel Gaddafi. We want to do everything to stop the suffering of the Libyans, but I say quite clearly, we have to reflect carefully on the steps we are to take, so that they lead to a sensible conclusion. I hope that we provide united signal here today as division and power-play will play into the hands of Gaddafi and we do not want that," Merkel said.
The U.N. Security Council is split on whether to authorise a no-fly zone over Libya, an option Paris and London have pushed as they seek ways to limit Muammar Gaddafi's ability to mobilise his forces against rebels.
As the EU heads of government meet in Brussels on Friday, Libya's insurgent leader repeated his call for a no-fly zone and warned any delay could let Gaddafi regain control. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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