Libyan PM urges ease of arms embargo

TRIPOLI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Thursday urged the international community to partially lift the arms embargo on Libya.

Serraj made the remarks during his visit to the Libyan naval vessel Abo-Auf in the capital Tripoli, which returned to service after maintenance.

"The prime minister said efforts have not stopped to persuade the international community to partially lift the arms embargo on the Coast Guards, Border Control Guards, Anti-Terrorism Force, and Presidential Guards, so these services can play their role effectively," the prime minister's media office said in a statement.

"The prime minister praised the performance and efforts of the naval officers to secure our maritime borders and combat human trafficking and smugglers, despite difficult circumstances and lack of resources," the statement added.

Serraj also called on naval leaders to develop short and long-term plans for the urgent needs of the navy.

Libya's divided eastern and western authorities have been demanding the lift of the arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council since February 2011. Enditem