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Statement by Oļegs Iļģis, DPR of Latvia to the United Nations at the UN Security Council Briefing on Libya
22 April, 2026 10 AM
Thank you, Mr President.
I would like to thank Special Representative Ms. Tetteh for her informative briefing.
I also welcome the participation of the representative of Libya to this meeting.
Mr President,
Let me reiterate our support to SRSG Ms. Tetteh and the whole UNSMIL staff for their efforts in working towards the implementation of the roadmap with the shared objective towards Libyan-led political process, national elections and unification.
Latvia welcomes the agreement on the first unified budget in thirteen years. We thank the United States and the involved parties for their efforts in reaching this important step. Undoubtedly a positive development. However, what will matter at the end of the day is the implementation of this agreement. Effective and transparent management of the budget is a prerequisite to bringing Libya closer to economic stability and build momentum towards unity.
However, as the Secretary-General’s latest report shows, Libya remains in political deadlock. While the roadmap provides a clear path forward, meaningful progress is hindered by parties who deliberately delay and obstruct the process to protect their interests and preserve the status quo – one marked by prolonged uncertainty.
Furthermore, the deepening split in the judiciary system only adds to the concerns and hampers efforts towards unification.
We reiterate our call on all Libyan stakeholders to put the interests of the Libyan people first. This has also been raised in the Structured Dialogue and its different tracks. We are encouraged by the active involvement by civil society, especially women, in the Dialogue.
We further urge all external actors to engage constructively and to cease actions that undermine Libya's stability and sovereignty.
Mr President,
Latvia welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2819 last week, which updates sanctions measures in Libya and renews the mandate of the Panel of Experts. I would like to stress that these measures are for the benefit of the Libyan people and aim to safeguard the country’s assets. We particularly welcome the call for member states and financial institutions to engage in a comprehensive audit of all frozen assets of the Libyan Investment Authority in order to protect and preserve their value.
We look forward to constructive discussions with Council members in May on the extension and strengthening of the mandate of Operation IRINI, given its important role in supporting the implementation of the arms embargo and serving as an essential hub for information sharing.
Mr President,
While we have not seen general progress in the political situation, we hope that some of the recent developments can generate a much-needed positive momentum and we call for the parties to engage in constructive discussion and listen to the voices of Libyan people, and finally move towards the unification of Libyan institutions and national elections.
I thank you.