The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday welcomed the meeting that was held between officials of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and others of the east-based interim government in Brega aimed at generating a unified vision on the 2021 national budget.

In a statement, the UN mission considered this "much-needed" step encouraging but should be coupled with genuine efforts on the political track to form a unified government incapable of implementing the budget effectively.

"The unification and rationalization of the national budget are crucial to establishing a more durable and equitable economic arrangement that will meet the needs of average Libyans for improved services and address the urgent requirement to repair the country’s deteriorating infrastructure, particularly the electrical grid," the UNSMIL said.

The UN mission emphasized the importance that the budget formulation is conducted in a transparent manner with the support of international financial institutions.