Libya's interim government gains wider support
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CNTV, September 17, 2011
This week has witnessed several landmark events for Libya's interim government: several heads of states paid their first visits to the country to show their support for the National Transitional Council (NTC), and on Friday the UN assembly recognized the NTC as the legitimate holder of Libya's UN seat.
The UN General Assembly voted to let NTC representatives take over Libya's UN mission despite opposition from some Latin American and African countries, which did not want the seat to be occupied by a "faction or illegitimate transitory authority imposed by foreign intervention."
The 193-member assembly approved the request with 114 votes in favor, 17 against and 15 abstentions.
As of now, some 90 countries including a number of African countries,have recognized the NTC, but the African Union (AU) has so far refused to do so and sticks to its "roadmap" for Libya, which calls for an inclusive government in the country.
A representative from Equatorial Guinea, who is currently acting president of the AU, told the general assembly that the AU has always supported the rights of the Libyan people and has never said that it is not going to recognize the NTC.
"But it has requested that a government be formed, after which they would have their seat in the African Union and then we would support and recognize it. This has not been the case thus far," said the diplomat.
Later on Friday, the UN Security Council lifted sanctions against Libya's assets and arms, and set up a UN mission to help restore public security and initiate economic recovery in the North African country.
The new resolution lifted asset freeze and other measures against the Libyan National Oil Corporation and Zueitina Oil Company, and eased sanctions against the Central Bank of Libya, the Libyan Arab Foreign Bank, the Libyan Investment Authority and the Libyan Africa Investment Portfolio.
Those punitive measures were imposed upon Libya six months ago against Gaddafi forces during the conflict.
However, the Security Council decided to maintain the no-fly zone over Libya, but allows states to permit Libyan aircraft to land, which means a green light to the resumed operation of the Libyan airlines, the resolution said.
Meanwhile, the Security Council also decided to set up a support mission in Libya in the initial three months period to help the government with the transition and reconstruction.
Libya's new government has also welcomed several landmark visits of foreign leaders this week.
The first guests were from British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
At a joint press conference Thursday, both leaders have shown their support for the NTC, pledging continued protection of the Libyan civilians, assistance in border surveillance, and releasing the frozen Libyan assets.
On Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also arrived in Libya's capital Tripoli.
Some analysts see the strings of visits as a battle for influence in the region, a rivalry between those countries to exert soft power in the post-war country.
"Strategically speaking, France is competing with Turkey. Both countries consider this region as a natural influence zone," Dorothee Shmid, a researcher at the Paris-based think-tank IFRI told Xinhua.
Garikai Chengu, a researcher at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, wrote in an article "Death for Libyans; Billions for the West" that "people who think that the West's intervention in Libya is just another oil grab are mistaken."
"Broadly speaking, for Britain military intervention is mainly about arms, Italy its natural gas, France its water and for the U.S. its counter-terrorism and reconstruction contracts," reads the article.
Meanwhile, China on Friday pledged to play an active role during post-war reconstruction in Libya and hoped the contracts signed by China and Libya will still be carried out in the future.
On the same day, China's UN Ambassador Li Baodong said China would continue its support to the Libyan people in their efforts to protect national sovereignty, conduct reconstruction and promote development.
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