The French President's Special Envoy to Libya, Paul Soler, reaffirmed his country's support for the initiative of the UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, to hold elections before the end of this year, adding in his meeting, on Tuesday, with Khalifa Haftar in Al-Rajma near Benghazi, in the presence of the French ambassador to Libya, Mostafa Mihraje, that it was a positive conversation that included France's full support for Bathily's initiative to hold presidential and legislative elections in 2023 as well as Paris adherence to the stability, unity and sovereignty of Libya, according to a tweet by the French embassy on Wednesday.
During his visit to Tripoli last week, Soler and the ambassador held, over two days, meetings with the Head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the Head of the High Council of State, Khalid Al-Mishri, and the Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush.
During those meetings, the two French officials expressed full support for Bathily's initiative and stressed the need to hold elections in 2023, according to a previous statement by the French embassy.
