Speech by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel at the reception held on 14 April 2011 during the Spring Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Thu,
14.04.2011
On 17 March, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973. That Resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence in . It is an expression of how determined the international community is to put an end to Gaddafi’s war against his own people. This determination was underlined in on 19 March, at an emergency summit of the international community instigated by . Yesterday’s Contact Group meeting in again gave it particular expression. Because we are united by precisely this determination, I can say that we all share the aims of Resolution 1973. We share these aims unconditionally, independently of how we each cast our vote. The Resolution stands. The international community stands united.
We are all contributing in many ways to the successful implementation of this Resolution – making military and non-military contributions. This is the background to our discussion of an EU operation to take over responsibility for supporting deliveries of humanitarian aid, as and when this is requested by the United Nations and all details have been clarified. I cannot preempt the results of those negotiations, nor would I wish to. What we must and shall have in the end – and this is vital – is a political solution for , a political solution which sees the Libyan people gain the freedom and dignity which the Gaddafi regime denies them.
It will therefore be important also to provide political support to the new political forces, perhaps through our political foundations or by sharing our experiences in connection to elections procedure. We need to provide economic assistance throughout the region. Companies should invest, create jobs and help train the region’s youth. After all, we cannot have people leaving their native countries because they think they have no economic prospects at home, just at a time when their countries urgently need them to participate in a fresh start in politics and the launching of democracy.
