TRIPOLI, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN envoy to Libya on Friday met with Libya's eastern-based army leader in the eastern city of Benghazi and discussed ways to implement a cease-fire deal, according to a statement by UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
Jan Kubis, the envoy and head of UNSMIL, and the army commander Khalifa Haftar agreed on the importance for all parties in Libya to commit to and facilitate the holding of the national elections on Dec. 24, 2021, the statement said.
The discussions focused on how to expedite the full implementation of the cease-fire agreement, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries, as well as the unification of the military and security institutions, the statement added.
"Special Envoy Kubis reiterated the urgent need to cease all international interference in Libya and for all countries to respect the UN Security Council resolutions, including the arms embargo, and most importantly to respect the will of the Libyans," UNSMIL said.
In October 2020, the Libyan parties signed a permanent cease-fire agreement that ended the war between the eastern-based army and the UN-backed government in and around the capital Tripoli, which lasted more than a year.
The UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum recently selected a new executive authority for the country, of which main tasks include preparing for the upcoming general elections on Dec. 24 as agreed. Enditem