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Belgium puts a DVI team for Libya on alert. 3 other measures

(BRUXELLES2) On the eve of the conference for the "new Libya" organized in Paris on Thursday 1 September, the Belgian government made known its proposal which consists of 4 points:

- Embassy. Reopening "as soon as possible" of the embassy in Tripoli, "taking into account the evolution of the security situation in Tripoli" and "in consultation with other European countries which had an embassy there before the conflict" ;

- Unfreeze of assets. Belgium is ready to unfreeze 100 million euros of Libyan assets, "via a decision of the United Nations Sanctions Committee and in accordance with Security Council resolution 1970. These unfrozen funds will be used for humanitarian purposes

- A check for reconstruction. Belgium intends release 3 million euros to support democratic transition, as part of a regional approach linked to the Arab Spring “as well as 250.000 euros” on the preventive diplomacy budget (...) for priority projects that contribute to a Libya where the rule of law and security for all citizens are guaranteed”. Belgium had already devoted 2,6 million euros to assistance to refugees fleeing the fighting and repression in Libya, from the Cooperation budget.

- The DVI on alert. Finally, Belgium is ready to send a DVI (Disaster Victim Identification) team to help the Libyans identify the many civilian victims of the fighting. NB: this team was activated for the first time during the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in Zeebrugge in 1987, and intervened several times abroad: crash of the PanAm plane in Lockerbie, war crimes in Kosovo in 2000, tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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