United Nations: The US and many European nations pressed on Thursday for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Libyan funds to help the cash-strapped rebels as the international community moved ahead on planning for a post-Gaddafi era.
The Libyan opposition said it urgently needs at least $5 billion in frozen assets to pay state salaries, maintain vital services and repair critical oil facilities. Analysts estimate that as much as $110 billion is frozen in banks worldwide.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday that Italy plans to release $505 million in frozen Libyan assets. Britain pressed South Africa to drop its opposition to a US proposal to unfreeze $1.5 billion in Libyan assets in American banks for urgent humanitarian needs.
Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the US Mission to the United Nations, said the United States will call for a vote at 3 PM EDT on Thursday on a Security Council resolution that will release the funds unless South Africa changes its mind and joins consensus in the council committee monitoring sanctions against Libya before then.
The committee requires unanimous agreement of all 15 council members, but a resolution does not.
"We expect to have the necessary support to pass the resolution," a US diplomat reiterated on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Senior officials from more than 30 nations were meeting on Thursday in Istanbul to discuss ways of assisting Libya's opposition in the post-Gaddafi era and the unfreezing of billions in cash and assets.
Comments
0 comment