The message is clear: institutional unification, economic and security integration, and a UN-led political path forward.
Driving the news: The governments of the U.S., Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the UAE, and the U.K. released a joint statement that:
- Reaffirms support for the Libyan people’s pursuit of unity, stability, prosperity, and lasting peace.
- Welcomes the UN Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of UNSMIL and the roadmap put forward by UN SRSG Hanna Tetteh.
- Urges all Libyan stakeholders to use this roadmap and UN facilitation to move toward unified governance and elections.
The big picture: The statement centers on a dual approach to integration:
- Military integration: Praise for Libyan efforts to integrate security forces.
- A call for leaders to expand and institutionalize east–west military coordination and accelerate the unification of military structures.
- Economic integration:
- Emphasis on strengthening key institutions: National Oil Corporation (NOC), Central Bank of Libya (CBL), and the Audit Bureau.
- The statement commends: the appointment of an official NOC chairman on September 29; the Unified Development Program Agreement signed on November 18 by the House of Representatives and High State Council.
These steps — the signatories say — can put Libya on a more sustainable economic path, support increased energy production, bolster financial stability, and enable development projects under a mutually agreed oversight framework.
Between the lines: The countries explicitly link political progress to advances in security and economic governance:
- only a Libya with unified institutions can reclaim stability, sovereignty, and prosperity.
What’s next: Signatories are pressing all Libyan actors to use the UN framework to advance: unified civilian institutions, a shared electoral roadmap, and a more transparent and resilient economy.
The bottom line: a strong, unified Libya is in everyone’s interest. The major-powers-push moment is a new significant opportunity for the country, if it wants to seize it.
