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Poland launches diplomatic ties with Libya rebels

07 July 2011, 16:51 CET
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(WARSAW) - Poland, current EU president, said Thursday it has launched diplomatic ties with Libya's rebel National Transitional Council, installing its ambassador in the eastern stronghold of Benghazi.

"As of today our ambassador in Libya is residing in Benghazi because we regard the transitional council in Benghazi as the only legitimate partner for talks," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in Warsaw at a joint press conference with visiting Algerian counterpart Mourad Medelci.

"Poland sees no possibility of cooperating with Colonel Kadhafi and of course we would rather see a political resolution to this conflict rather than a military one," he said, echoed by Medelci.

"A maximum effort must be made to find a political solution which will finally allow the Libyan people to definitively decide on their fate, to make their choice of new institutions," Medelci said.

"I believe I am speaking for both of us when I say that we support achieving the goals of UN Security Council resolution 1973 on protecting civilian populations," which laid the foundation for NATO airstrikes against Kadhafi forces in Libya, added Sikorski, whose country took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1.

Earlier the ministers concluded a bilateral aviation accord and agreed an action plan for intensified political and business contacts.

"Poland as the EU president will endeavour to sign further agreements between the EU and Algeria and will be supportive of the EU opening up towards Algeria, an important southern neighbour," Sikorski said.


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