Senior Libyan official vows to do utmost for national reconciliation

Mohammad Menfi

TRIPOLI, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Mohammad Menfi, the newly-appointed president of Libya's Presidential Council, said on Friday that he would do his utmost to help achieve national reconciliation in his country.

"The greatest efforts will be dedicated to laying the foundations of the national reconciliation process, by building its structures, providing moral and material requirements for national reconciliation, and establishing values of forgiveness and tolerance," Menfi said in a televised speech.

He also called on the international community to fulfill its obligations towards the Libyan people by adhering to the resolutions of the UN Security Council, such as ending foreign interference, banning arms supplies, and preserving Libya's frozen funds and assets.

Menfi expressed his desire to establish foreign relations based on partnership and mutual cooperation, respect of national sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs.

He also stressed the importance of holding general elections in the country on Dec. 24, as agreed recently by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).

Menfi was appointed as the president of the new Presidency Council along with new Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah by the LPDF recently.

Libya's House of Representatives (parliament) on Wednesday granted confidence to the new Government of National Unity, according to the parliament's official website.

The new government is to be sworn in on Monday during an official session of the House of Representatives in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi.