France's Hollande says he counts on Libya to expand its government

Record ID: 85365

  • Title: France's Hollande says he counts on Libya to expand its government
  • Date: 27th September 2016
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FRENCH AND EUROPEAN FLAGS FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, WAITING ON DOORSTEP LIBYAN PRIME MINISTER, FAYAZ SERAJ, ARRIVING BY CAR AND BEING GREETED BY HOLLANDE/TWO LEADERS POSING FOR MEDIA AND WALKING IN FRENCH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER, JEAN-MARC AYRAULT, ARRIVING VARIOUS OF ROUNDTABLE WITH LIBYAN DELEGATION MEETING FRENCH DELEGATION HOLLANDE AND SERAJ STANDING AT PODIUM FOR STATEMENT REPORTERS AT WORK (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "We trust him to be able to expand his government and involve all the stakeholders and I hope that parliament will bring him all the confidence." LIBYAN AND FRENCH FLAGS SERAJ TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN PRIME MINISTER, FAYAZ SERAJ, SAYING: "This continuous support by France is extremely important. One of the subjects which was one of the priorities for our meeting today was the fight against terrorism, it was the most important topic we talked about. The fight against terrorism is in fact a common interest, to us and the international community - and Libya is part of the international community. France has played a central and essential role in the fight against terrorism. France has suffered from terrorist operations and works with other countries to get rid of it." REPORTERS AT WORK HOLLANDE GIVING STATEMENT (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "What is happening in Syria and in particular in Aleppo is a massacre. The international community cannot stay silent - and it hasn't been, for a large portion of the states which attended the Security Council - but we can't accept that there are bombings, we cannot accept that civilians are sacrificed, tormented, we cannot accept that children are the victims of what is being done by the regime and its supporters today. And that's why it is so important to act, act always when there is still time and in Libya we are making sure we are acting." SERAJ AND HOLLANDE SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING PREMISES ROOM EMPTYING
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2016 18:07
  • Keywords: Libya Hollande Seraj France
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00151CG8QV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: ARABIC TRANSLATION PROVIDED BY INTERPRETER
    France will support the future initiative by Libya's Prime Minister Fayez Seraj to expand its representative government to other political forces, French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday (September 27).
    Neither of the two leaders however explicitly mentioned the situation created by an offensive on oil sites by forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, whose entry into the government was rejected for its past links with the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
    "We trust him to be able to expand his government and involve all the stakeholders and I hope that parliament will bring him all the confidence," Hollande said after the two met in Paris, adding that Fayez would soon take "new initiatives".
    France hopes that new proposals will prevent any escalation of violence in Libya.
    Seraj thanked France's support for its involvement in fighting Islamic groups in the Middle East.
    "This continuous support by France is extremely important. One of the subjects which was one of the priorities for our meeting today was the fight against terrorism, it was the most important topic we talked about. The fight against terrorism is in fact a common interest, to us and the international community - and Libya is part of the international community. France has played a central and essential role in the fight against terrorism. France has suffered from terrorist operations and works with other countries to get rid of it," Seraj said.
    Hollande also condemned the ongoing "massacre" in the Syrian city of Aleppo, saying the international community could not stay silent.
    "We can't accept that there are bombings, we cannot accept that civilians are sacrificed, tormented, we cannot accept that children are the victims of what is being done by the regime and its supporters today. And that's why it is so important to act, act always when there is still time and in Libya we are making sure we are acting," he said.
    Syrian government forces and their allies attacked the opposition-held sector of Aleppo on several fronts on Tuesday, the biggest ground assault yet in a massive new military campaign that has destroyed a U.S.-backed ceasefire.
    The United States says the assault on Aleppo is proof that President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and regional allies have abandoned an international peace process to pursue victory on the battlefield after nearly six years of civil war.
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