Italy, France, Germany, the UK and the US issued a joint statement on Thursday welcoming the Libyan parliament's approval of a transitional unity government led by businessman Abdelhamid Dbeibah, calling the vote a "fundamental step" towards the war-torn country's unification.
The five western powers "welcome the vote of confidence by the overwhelming majority of the members of the House of Representatives meeting in Sirte 8-10 March to endorse the cabinet chosen by prime minister-designate Abdulhamid Dbeibah for an interim national unity government," read the statement.
After two days of intense debate, the parliament on Wednesday approved Dbeibah's cabinet line-up, with 121 of the 132 lawmakers present voting in favour, his spokesman said.
"This outcome is a fundamental step on the path towards the unification of Libyan institutions and a comprehensive political solution to a crisis that has tested Libya and its people, "the statement underlined.
"We will continue to support the Libyan people and the UN efforts jointly with our partners," the statement went on.
The interim unified executive's "primary tasks" will include steering Libya to free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections slated for 24 December, fully implementing the 23 October ceasefire accord between Libya's warring factions, launching a national reconciliation process, and addressing the basic needs of the Libyan population, the statement recalled.
The statement also welcomed the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries from the area around Ghardabya airport which it said had allowed Libyan lawmakers to safely take part in this week's parliamentary session in Sirte.
"It is important that such a development represents an irreversible step towards the full implementation of the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from all of Libya," the statement underlined.
The statement praised the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Libya, Jan Kubis "for their tireless efforts to stabilize Libya and ensure stability and prosperity to its people."
