UN chief remains hopeful that Libya dialogue process will help end crisis

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon remains very hopeful that the current Libya dialogue process will help all the Libyan parties end crisis in the North African country as all delegations of the Libyan political dialogue issued a communique in Berlin on Wednesday, a UN spokesman said.

"All delegations of the Libyan political dialogue are currently in Berlin for discussions hosted by Germany with senior officials from a number of States, including the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom, as well as, of course, the Secretary-General's special representative Bernardino Leon," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"The secretary-general remains very hopeful that this agreement will help the Libyans end the current crisis and rebuild their country in a peaceful and unified manner," he said.

In the communique issued in Berlin earlier Wednesday, "all participants renewed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya, while recalling the (UN) Security Council statement of 23 July ( 2014) and other relevant Council resolutions," he said.

"The governments represented at the meeting and the European Union expressed their unequivocal support for the Libyan political dialogue led by Mr. Leon and to his proposals to reach a compromise," the spokesman said.

The Berlin meeting brought together nearly two dozen Libyan participants in ongoing UN-brokered talks with the Libya envoys of the five permanent members of the 15-nation Security Council, Italy, Spain and the European Union.

"The time has come to make an agreement," Leon said in Berlin. "We can continue working for months and for years maybe to reach a perfect agreement, but Libya doesn't have the time."

The United Nations has brokered several rounds of dialogues between the opposing parties since September, but clashes remained despite a truce agreed on by factions.

Libya, a major oil producer, has been witnessing a frayed political process after its leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled during the 2011 political turmoil.

The capital city of Tripoli fell to Libya Dawn last August. The Islamist militia established its own government to confront the internationally recognized one, currently in exile in the eastern town of Tobruk. The country is now deadlocked in a dogfight between the pro-secular army and Islamist militants. Endite