The Arab League announced on Tuesday that it will be holding a meeting of senior officials with the participation of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Conference, to draft a peace settlement which addresses the political crisis in Libya. Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed bin Helli told reporters after a meeting with the Deputy High Commissioner for European Security and Political Affairs that “the time has come to draft a peace settlement which will be offered by these organizations to their brothers in Libya to address the crisis with all the related humanitarian and political dimensions." Bin Helli said the attendees discussed the Jamahiriya crisis, and the coordination of efforts and cooperation between regional and international organizations. He went on to say that they also proposed that a meeting for senior officials, including representatives of the concerned international and regional organizations. The participants would draft a practical political settlement to the Jamahiriya crisis which takes into account what has been proposed by a number of regional and international parties. "We are keen on Libyan unity and we refuse to entrench the division,” said bin Helli. “We are worried about the effects of the situation in Libya on the stability of neighboring states." Ben Helli did not discuss details of the proposed political solution to the Libyan crisis, ongoing since February; however, observers expect Arab leaders and European officials to discuss how to prepare Libya for its future amid expectations that Muammar Qadhafi will eventually leave office with the intensification of NATO strikes on Tripoli, Libya's capital. Translated from the Arabic Edition
