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G7 adopts joint statement on Libya — Italy

"We firmly believe that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict," the statement reads

ROME, April 6. /TASS/. The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and France, along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, adopted a joint statement on Friday to express their profound concern by the ongoing events in Libya.

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UN Security Council urges Libya's Haftar to avoid confrontation

"We firmly believe that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict. We strongly oppose any military action in Libya. Any Libyan actor or faction that precipitates further civil conflict are harming innocent people and standing in the way of the peace that Libyans deserve," reads the statement, released by Italy’s Foreign Ministry on Friday evening.

G7 foreign ministers also express "full and united support to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Special Representative of the Secretary General Ghassan Salame as the UN seeks to help Libyans overcome Libya's political stalemate, and help Libyans chart a path toward credible and peaceful elections as soon as possible, as agreed by the Libyan parties in Paris in May 2018 and in Palermo in November 2018."

"We further call on all Libyans to constructively support the UN led process and the international community to demonstrate full unity and cohesion towards the shared objective of the sustainable stabilisation of Libya," the statement reads.

Situation in Libya escalated during the visit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Currently, the country has two governments: Tripoli’s Government of National Accord, led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and recognized by the international community, and the interim Cabinet of Abdullah Al-Thani, who is acting in the country’s east together with the elected parliament and supported by the Libyan National Army of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

On Thursday, Haftar announced the launch of an offensive on Tripoli to retake the capital from terrorists and armed groups. The army is advancing to the capital now and, as some media reported, has already approached the city’s outskirts. Meanwhile, al-Sarraj ordered all military units subordinate to him to be on alert and to use force if necessary "to defend the civilian population and critical facilities."

In the meantime, Al-Hadath television channel said that at a meeting with Antonio Guterres in Benghazi on Friday, Haftar notified the UN Secretary General that he would not negotiate with terrorists but would liberate Libya’s capital from them. According to the sources cited by the TV channel, Guterres asked Haftar to abide by generally recognized rules for military operations and by the international laws.

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