EU sends technical fact-finding mission to Libya

[maddezmom]

Source: Malta times

EU sends technical fact-finding mission to Libya
A technical fact-finding mission has been sent to Libya by the EU ahead of European Council.

It is the first international mission of its kind to the country since the recent violence.

The team will be led by Agostino Miozzo, managing director in the European External Action Service for Crisis Response and Operational Coordination.

Its aim will be to assess humanitarian and evacuation efforts on the ground in Libya to make an appraisal of what may be needed in terms of additional support.



Read more: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110306/local/eu-sends-technical-fact-finding-mission-to-libya

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"Its aim will be to assess humanitarian and evacuation efforts on the ground in Libya to make an appraisal of what may be needed in terms of additional support," the statement said.

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An EU diplomat stressed that the aim of the mission was to gather facts, not to negotiate with the Libyan authorities.

"We have people on the borders, but nobody on the ground in Libya to find out what's going on," the diplomat said. "We are not there to negotiate, but to listen, and find out what's going on the ground."

more:http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE72505520110306

[Turborama]

1. AFP: EU sends crisis response experts into Libya

BRUSSELS — The European Union sent experts into Libya Sunday to get "real time" information on humanitarian and evacuation efforts, as diplomatic activity intensifies in Brussels and at the United Nations.

The EU's High Representative for foreign and security affairs, Catherine Ashton "has today sent a technical fact-finding mission to Libya -- the first international mission of its kind to the country since the recent violence," said a statement.

Ashton's team is led by Agostino Miozzo, who heads up the newly-formed EU External Action Service's crisis response division, and aims "to assess humanitarian and evacuation efforts on the ground in Libya to make an appraisal of what may be needed in terms of additional support."

Ashton said she wanted "first-hand, real-time information" to feed into proposals for a gathering of EU foreign ministers on Thursday and the bloc's emergency summit of leaders tackling events in neighbouring Arab lands on Friday.

Full article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j2pZUqxmBMhozEsqRowz15d_O33Q?docId=CNG.b493560d470ff36e06375c297cd6f36a.141