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In a week, Libya has rescued more than 1,500 would-be migrants off its west coast, a non-governmental organisation said.

"The Libyan coastguard has conducted several rescue operations from a week ago until (Wednesday) and rescued about 1,500 people," Adel al-Idrissi from the International Rescue Committee said.

On Wednesday alone, 240 African migrants were rescued from two boats off the port city of Al-Khums, said Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Abdel Aali of the coastguard.

"We encountered difficulties in getting the (migrants from the first boat) on board, but the second group showed less opposition," he said.

Migrants intercepted off the Libyan coast object to being returned to the country, preferring to wait for humanitarian rescue ships.

Despite unabated violence in Libya since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011, the country remains an important transit point for migrants fleeing instability in other parts of Africa and the Middle East and seeking to reach Europe.

International agencies frequently denounce the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centres.

Veronica Alfonsi, a spokeswoman for the Spanish aid ship Open Arms, confirmed on Wednesday that around 200 people had been returned to Libya.

"Men, women and children taken back to Libya against their will," the charity's founder Oscar Camps said on Twitter.

More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

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Over 1,500 migrants rescued off Libya coast in week - WION

Libya has rescued more than 1,500 would-be migrants off its west coast in the past week, a non-governmental organisation said.

"The Libyan coastguard has conducted several rescue operations from a week ago until (Wednesday) and rescued about 1,500 people," Adel al-Idrissi from the International Rescue Committee told AFP.

On Wednesday alone, 240 African migrants were rescued from two boats off the port city of Al-Khums, said Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Abdel Aali of the coastguard.

"We encountered difficulties in getting the (migrants from the first boat) on board," but the second group "showed less opposition," he said.

Migrants intercepted off the Libyan coast object to being returned to the country, preferring to wait for humanitarian rescue ships.

Despite unabated violence in Libya since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011, the country remains an important transit point for migrants fleeing instability in other parts of Africa and the Middle East and seeking to reach Europe.

International agencies frequently denounce the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centres.

Veronica Alfonsi, a spokeswoman for the Spanish aid ship Open Arms, confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that around 200 people had been returned to Libya.

"Men, women and children taken back to Libya against their will," the charity's founder Oscar Camps said on Twitter.

More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

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Libya rescues over 1,500 migrants off coast in week - Yahoo News

After about seven years of frozen diplomatic relations between Greece and Libya, our country regains diplomatic representation on Libyan soil.

Why was this specific time was chosen?

As Libya will have an election at the end of the year, coordinated by the new caretaker prime minister who will immediately form an interim government, Greece is reactivating its diplomatic channels.

In particular, after the developments at the UN regarding Libya where it was decided to change the political situation, the Greek Embassy in Tripoli will immediately reopen, as announced by the Greek Foreign Ministry.

At the same time, the necessary procedures for the opening of the Consulate General of Greece in Benghazi will be launched.

Diplomatic sources tell Sputnik Hellas that the Greek side wants to have an active role in the region after the fall of Fayez al-Sarraj (who co-signed the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum to steal Greek maritime space).

Greek-Libyan diplomatic relations remained virtually frozen after the fall of Gaddafi and the subsequent suspension of the Greek embassy in Libyan territory.

In the midst of the development of the Libyan civil war, the Greek embassy in Tripoli suspended its operation on July 31, 2014.

Its last diplomatic action, in cooperation with Greek supervisory authorities, was to transfer 186 Greek and foreign citizens (Chinese, Belgians, British), who finally arrived in Piraeus with the Salamis frigate.

Greek-Libyan relations returned to the forefront in late 2019 when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan and Sarraj signed a memoranda to recognises a common Turkish-Libyan maritime border, bypassing Greek rights and the UN Law of the Sea.

After Sarrajs departure, Greece wants to show a more active role in the region, said Kostas Yfantis, a professor of International Relations at Panteion University.

It is worth emphasising that the political relations between Greece and Libya are not good, especially after the signing of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, he continued.

For his part, Deputy Professor for International Politics at the Democritus University of Thrace, Sotiris Serbos, said that developments regarding the transitional government in Libya, does not change anything regarding the role that Turkey has in Libya.

Those who make up the transitional presidency have no contact with General Khalifa Haftar or with the president of the elected Libyan parliament in Tobruk, Aguila Saleh Issa (who opposes the Turkish plans), he said.

Of course, Turkey is also satisfied with this development, he added.

This is one of the reasons why, according to the professor, Greece decides to make a change in strategy.

Greeces diplomatic moves are aimed at better capturing our position. There should be a negotiating leverage of developments, within the geopolitical bra de fer that is taking place in Libya with players inside and outside the country, the professor continued.

As he pointed out, it cost Greece that they had no information about developments in Libya since it did not maintain an embassy there.

So this has to do with the fact that two Turkish-Libyan memoranda were signed for maritime zones and military cooperation, something that Greece did not realize until they were signed, he signed.

This does not mean, as he clarifies, that Greece could have done something to prevent it, however the balances may have been formed differently.

Our country clearly needs its own unfiltered channel of communication with a country like Libya, the professor concluded.

The new Prime Minister of Libya and Greece

It is recalled that Mohamed Menfi, the new caretaker Prime Minister of Libya, was deported from Greece at the end of 2019, after the signing of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, while he was the ambassador for Libya in Athens.

Other diplomatic sources estimate that the new Libyan prime minister will not cause any problems with Greece despite the fact that he was expelled as ambassador as he is transitional and of limited power to proceed with major changes.

Participants in the dialogue on Libya, under the auspices of the UN, chose him to undertake to lead the country to elections, on December 24.

The caretaker Prime Minister will have to form an interim government in 21 days and present his program to Parliament for approval.

If he succeeds, he will have another 21 days to receive a vote of confidence from parliament.

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Why Greece Is Changing Its Libyan Strategy And What Is Turkey's Role - Greek City Times - GreekCityTimes.com

As he assumed functions yesterday, the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Jn Kubi continued his interactions with Libyan interlocutors, following his telephone calls with President of the Presidency Council Mr. Fayez Serraj and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mohammed Siala the day before.

He held telephone conversations with Mr. Agila Slaeh, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) and discussed the current situation, following the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) meeting in Switzerland and the way forward, including convening the HoR soon.

Special Envoy Kubi held telephone conversations with Mr. Mohammad Younes Menfi, President of the Presidency Council designate and Mr. Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, Prime Minister designate. They discussed the way forward to ensure a smooth transition of power to the new unified interim executive authority. Mr. Kubi noted the intention of the Prime Minister designate to form an inclusive and representative Cabinet, within the timeline set by the LPDF Roadmap, that will reflect the richness and diversity of the Libyan society and its components, including women and youth, capable of addressing the most pressing issues in Libya including delivery of services to the people on an just and equitable basis and national reconciliation. Of critical importance for the government and the people is to prepare and hold the national elections on 24 December 2021.

Mr. Kubi stressed the United Nations commitment to a stable, prosperous, sovereign and unified Libya, building on the momentum generated by positive developments achieved in the past months in the political, security and economic files, including ceasefire agreement through Libyan-led and Libyan-owned efforts and processes.

The Special Envoy Jn Kubi continued also with his telephone and video calls, reaching out to high representatives of regional countries and broader international community.

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Jn Kubi takes up functions as the UN Secretary-General special envoy for Libya, stresses UN commitment to a stable, prosperous, sovereign and unified...

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, I am pleased to announce the results of the vote of the second round for the selection of the new executive authority. 73 ballots were cast; there was one abstention; and zero invalid ballot. The winning ticket received 39 votes and composed of Mr. Mohammad Younes Menfi, President of the Presidency of the Presidency Council; Mr. Mossa Al-Koni, and Mr. Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi, members of the Presidency Council; and Mr. Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, Prime Minister ddesignate. The runner-up list received 34 votes and the candidate for the President of the Presidency Council was Mr. Aqila Saleh Qwaider; Mr. Osama Abdul Salam Juwaili andAbdul Majeed Ghaith Seif Al-Nasr, members of the Presidency Council; and Mr. Fathi Ali Abdul Salam Bashagha was the candidate for the Prime Minister.On behalf of the United Nations, I am pleased to witness this historic moment.The importance of the decision that you have taken here today will grow with the passage of time in the collective memory of the Libyan people.

This process, your process, has come a long way from when we first convened you virtually in October of last year.

You overcame your differences, divisions and the many challenges you have faced during this difficult, but fruitful journey, in the interests of your country and of the Libyan people.You understood the burden of your responsibility and the immense value of your contributions. You fulfilled your commitments before your constituencies.

Your compatriots will remember for many years to come this national conscientiousness you have so ably demonstrated.

Our bet was that you would be able to build a truly Libyan-owned solution. And that is what you have done.

The international community can only validate and reinforce your decisions and will be watching those you have selected to make sure they truly go back to the Libyan people on December 24 to democratically elect Libyas representatives and political leadership. As they have pledged to do so before you, in word and in writing. This is a solemn obligation and one the new executive must fulfill.

The challenges are not behind you.

The Prime Minister-designate must within a period not to exceed twenty-one days, form his cabinet and present its work program along with all the outcomes of the LPDF to the House of Representatives for full endorsement and to grant confidence within a period also not exceed twenty-one days from the date of submission to the HoR. If confidence is not granted, the matter shall be decided by the LPDF.

The new unified executive authority should commit to translating the spirit and principles of the roadmap with actions and deeds.

First, I call on them to respect and translate the unity and inclusivity which you have built in this forum in the formation of a government that is based on merit, competence and which is representative of all Libyans, including youth, cultural components and women.

They have already committed to ensuring that women will hold at least 30% of the senior executive positions.

Second, urgent action is needed to uphold the election date on 24 December, which will require that new government to extend its full support to HNEC and to the concerned institutions to finalize the necessary constitutional arrangements for the holding of the elections in line with their responsibilities and timeline set out in the Tunis roadmap.

Third, the new unified executive must, as stipulated in the Roadmap, launch a comprehensive national reconciliation process based on the principles of transitional justice and promoting the culture of amnesty and tolerance in parallel with truth-seeking and reparation.

Fourth, the new unified executive must fully support and implement the ceasefire agreement. This will require bold and determined action on the part of the new Government in support of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission, in particular for the reopening of the coastal road and the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries.

The reopening of the coastal road will also be critical for the delivery of basic services and to ensure free movement of goods and people, which is essential to restore the prosperity of a united Libya.

Fifth, the new executive must tackle Libyas economic crisis and the dire living conditions faced by Libyan citizens.

Since the oil blockade was lifted in September 2020, important progress has been achieved to enact the economic reforms needed to create a more equitable and durable economic arrangement of Libyas oil revenues.

The re-activation of the CBL Board of Governors, the unification of the exchange rate, the progress in the financial review of both branches of the CBL and the launch of the comprehensive audit of LIA on 11 January, have been setting the stage for the reunification of Libyas economic and financial institutions and policies, and increasing the integrity and performance of Libyas sovereign wealth.

As we were gathering in Switzerland, Libyas first unified national budget since 2014 was agreed and is awaiting promulgation by the current Presidency Council.As stipulated in the Roadmap, the current Presidency Council and government should continue to work in a caretaker capacity until the endorsement by the House of Representatives of the new temporary unified executive, and should ensure that a peaceful transition and a constructive handover take place without delay and in the interests of the country. All parallel authorities shall be considered null and void.

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum has not completed its tasks. You have a critical role to play in the months ahead as the custodians and monitors of the Roadmap which you adopted in Tunis. You have demonstrated your political strength throughout this process, and you must continue to work in the same spirit to ensure that the aspirations and clear demands of the Libyan people do not remain unfulfilled and unanswered. You must hold the new executive to account and demand that the institutions fulfill their responsibilities with regard to the constitutional process and the sovereign positions, while respecting the independence of the judicial authority.

The United Nations will continue to accompany you on this journey. It has been my pleasure to join you and I wish you and your beloved country all the very best as you continue to come together Min Ajl Libya.

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Note to Correspondents: Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Stephanie Williams remarks following the closing of the vote...