Merkel: Algeria Takes Initiative To Resolve Libya Crisis

North Africa countries, including Algeria, were able to take the initiative to resolve the crisis in Libya, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, said.

Merkel confirmed, after her meeting with Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, on Tuesday in Berlin, that consolidating and stabilizing Libya’s political system is a priority.

“I was pleased that Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia take the initiative in this regard. This crisis cannot be resolved within four weeks, but it is a complicated process”.

However, Merkel asserted, at the same time, the need to make decisive efforts in Libya to restore the political system.”

Despite many political summits on immigration, thousands of people are still leaving Libya through a dangerous Mediterranean transit to Europe, where more than 3,000 people were rescued in more than 20 operations, in just 24 hours earlier this week.

On the immigration issue, the German chancellor asked her people to be patient with European policy towards refugees, even as the number of immigrants who are hoping to reach Europe across the Mediterranean sea increased.

“This is a long-term development. Therefor, we need more patience”.

“Migration from Libya has, in many cases, economic reasons and hundreds of thousands of migrants were already in Libya last fall, and are planning to cross into Europe”.

“Partnerships with countries such as Niger, for example, were conducted to reduce migration and they need some time before they provide better opportunities for people’s lives there, and limit migration from these countries, and that does not happen within a few months”.

“German Bundesrat recently rejected a new bill that would have facilitated the deportation of some migrants by declaring Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia as safe countries”.

Recent data from the German Interior Ministry revealed that 404 asylum seekers were deported to the Arab Maghreb countries in 2016, including 169 Algerians, indicating an increase in the number of deportations of migrants from Germany to the Maghreb countries compared to 2015.

On February 21, Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sallal had a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the development of bilateral cooperation and the situation in the region, and a statement of the ¨Prime Ministry said that Angela Merkel asked about the health of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and confirmed her readiness to visit Algeria as soon as possible after postponing a visit that was expected to Algeria.

“Merkel thanked President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for the invitation to visit Algeria, and expressed her satisfaction with the development of bilateral relationships between the two countries, and hoped to see economic consolidation in other areas”.

“The phone conversation with the German Chancellor dealt with the issue of cooperation in combating terrorism and illegal immigration, pointing to a consensus to strengthen the means and capacities to stop these phenomena in the framework of the agreements that link the two countries”.

As for the situation in the region, especially in Libya and the Sahel region, it said; “Algeria affirmed its readiness to participate in a peaceful and comprehensive settlement of disputes, with a view to achieve stability in the region and end terrorism and transnational crime.”

The statement concluded that the two parties affirmed the “identical visions on the most important issues of common concern”.