Foreign Minister Steinmeier issued the following statement in New York today (17 December) on the signing of a peace agreement for Libya in Skhirat, Morocco:

I welcome the peace agreement for Libya that was signed in Skhirat in Morocco today. It is an important step on the way to resolving the conflict in a country scarred by violence and chaos. Germany and its international partners stand behind this agreement and the efforts on the part of the Libyan people to achieve a stable and democratic state. UN Special Representative Martin Kobler has our full support. We will actively support the implementation of the agreements, for example by helping to establish state and administrative structures, in the fight against ISIS, and by lending our assistance to efforts to build up security forces. Germany also stands ready to play a part in overcoming the humanitarian crisis.

There are still many hurdles ahead of us, and success is anything but guaranteed. There is, on all sides, still a minority that seeks to torpedo the peace agreement and the process as a whole. The security situation in the capital Tripoli also remains fragile. We will, in talks with the parties and also with the countries in the region, step up our efforts to ensure that the new government of national unity can take the reins of power also in the capital soon after its inauguration.

Resolving the conflict in Libya is in our own best interest. Libya, which is in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood, will determine whether the region will continue to destabilise and radical forces gain the upper hand, or whether it will be possible to, step by step, pacify this country that offers so much potential.