Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to encourage reconciliation and political reform in Libya.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
More than year since failed elections in Libya, the political impasse continues without a clear route to elections, increasing the risk of violence and insecurity. The UK therefore supports the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to reinvigorate the UN-facilitated, Libyan-led and owned political process, including parliamentary and presidential elections. We call on all Libyan actors and key stakeholders to work with SRSG Bathily and the UN, to fulfil their responsibilities to the Libyan people on the political, security, economic and human rights tracks, in order to deliver long-term stability, security and prosperity.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to help remove the Wagner private military company from Libya.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The eastern-based General Haftar-led Libyan National Army has strong links to Russian Wagner Group which maintains a presence in Libya and uses Libya's open southern border as a route into the Sahel. The UK is working alongside our regional and international partners to foster long-term stability and address the drivers of conflict in Libya and the Sahel. We consistently call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries, including Wagner, without delay through the UN Security Council and with regional partners.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the presence of the Russian private military company Wagner in Libya; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The eastern-based General Haftar-led Libyan National Army has strong links to Russian Wagner Group which maintains a presence in Libya and uses Libya's open southern border as a route into the Sahel. The UK is working alongside our regional and international partners to foster long-term stability and address the drivers of conflict in Libya and the Sahel. We consistently call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries, including Wagner, without delay through the UN Security Council and with regional partners.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that free and fair elections may take place in Libya.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
More than year since failed elections in Libya, the political impasse continues without a clear route to elections, increasing the risk of violence and insecurity. The UK therefore supports the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to reinvigorate the UN-facilitated, Libyan-led and owned political process, including parliamentary and presidential elections. We call on all Libyan actors and key stakeholders to work with SRSG Bathily and the UN, to fulfil their responsibilities to the Libyan people on the political, security, economic and human rights tracks, in order to deliver long-term stability, security and prosperity.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's travel advice against travelling on cruises will be removed for countries that are given green status under the new traffic light system.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The FCDO remains fully committed to working closely with the Department for Transport and key industry leaders following the publication of the second Global Travel Taskforce report. International cruises will restart alongside the wider restart of international travel in line with the "traffic light" system. This will be subject to continued satisfactory evidence from the domestic restart and cruising in other countries. Travel advice will continue to be informed by the latest public health risk assessments.
For now, national restrictions on international travel remain in place, including only permitting travel abroad for a limited number of reasons set out in law. Holiday travel is not included.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of aligning his Department's advice on travel for cruising with current advice for the aviation sector.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The FCDO remains fully committed to working closely with the Department for Transport and key industry leaders following the publication of the second Global Travel Taskforce report. International cruises will restart alongside the wider restart of international travel in line with the "traffic light" system. This will be subject to continued satisfactory evidence from the domestic restart and cruising in other countries. Travel advice will continue to be informed by the latest public health risk assessments.
For now, national restrictions on international travel remain in place, including only permitting travel abroad for a limited number of reasons set out in law. Holiday travel is not included.