USA

Harris to show U.S. support for Libya elections at Paris summit -officials

cde.news desk 5 November 2021, 08:00 · 1 min read

Democratic Senator from California Kamala Harris participates in a news conference with Senate Democrats to voice opposition to a Republican-crafted police reform bill on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA, 23 June 2020 (reissued 11 August 2020). Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his pick for Vice President, according to a statement on Biden's Twitter account, on 11 August 2020. EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris plans to support Libya taking steps toward elections at a conference in Paris next week, according to senior administration officials.

“We want to show our support for the Libyan people as they move toward national elections and as they focus on the importance of the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries,” one of the officials said.

The Libya-focused summit, organized with the United Nations, Germany and Italy in Paris for Nov. 12, is expected to gather some 20 regional and international heads of state.

Wrangling over elections planned for Dec. 24 has threatened to derail Libya’s efforts to end a decade of chaos and violence. A wider peace push has put a transitional unity government into office until that vote.

Harris is attending the Paris summit as part of a broader, five-day diplomatic trip to France.

Photo – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS