Development initiative to tackle desert and migration challenges
LIBYA – Presidential Council member Musa Al-Koni met the new European Union Ambassador to Libya, Alexis Konstantopoulos, on Tuesday to discuss ways to develop the bilateral partnership and support development and stability, as well as irregular migration and the latest developments in the political process. During the meeting, the ambassador conveyed the greetings of the President of the European Commission to the Presidential Council.
“One Desert” initiative and shared development potential
At the meeting, held at the Presidential Palaces compound, Al-Koni stressed the importance of adopting sustainable development approaches to address shared challenges, and set out his vision for the “One Desert” initiative, which he launched and which the EU has adopted.
He said the initiative treats the Sahara as a positive, unifying and integrated space for creative cooperation between peoples and ethnic groups, drawing on its civilisational and historical depth, in contrast to imported negative notions that link it to terrorism, smuggling and political turmoil and overlook its development potential.
Projects south of the Sahara to tackle the drivers of migration
Al-Koni and Konstantopoulos discussed irregular migration and stressed the need to launch place-based development projects in sub-Saharan countries to stimulate their economies, create jobs and improve living conditions, addressing some of the economic and social causes of migration, curbing migrant flows and easing pressure on European countries.
The EU ambassador said Libya’s stability was linked to Europe’s stability, and expressed the EU’s wish to expand cooperation with Libya to support development in sub-Saharan countries.
4+4 committee process and unifying state institutions
The meeting also covered Libyan political developments and the UN-sponsored 4+4 committee process, with Al-Koni stressing the importance of supporting efforts to move the political process towards a comprehensive and sustainable settlement that leads to the unification of state institutions.
