No: 156, 22 July 2020, Joint Statement on the Turkish-Russian High-Level Consultations on Libya (Ankara, 22 July 2020)

The Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation whose leaders launched an initiative in Istanbul on 8 January 2020 to de-escalate the situation on the ground and to pave the way for a political process in Libya,

- Reaffirming their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Libya, as well as to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter;

- Expressing the conviction that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict and it can only be solved through a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned, UN-facilitated political process;

- Emphasizing the necessity to combat terrorist individuals and entities as designated by the UN Security Council;

- Reaffirming their determination to continue bilateral interaction in order to achieve security and stability in the country and improve the humanitarian situation;

Agreed on the following:

1. Continue joint efforts, including encouraging the Libyan parties, with a view to creating conditions for a lasting and sustainable ceasefire.

2. Facilitate the advancement of the intra-Libyan political dialogue in line with the conclusions ofthe Berlin Conference on Libya (19 January 2020) and in coordination with the UN.

3. Call upon the parties to take measures in order to ensure safe humanitarian access and delivery of urgent assistance to all those in need.

4. Consider creating a Joint Working Group on Libya and convene the next round of consultations in Moscow in the near future.