Murray McCully
New Zealand will offer help to Libya, possibly medical
assistance, Foreign Minister Murray McCully says.
Rebels have made dramatic advances in the Libyan capital
Tripoli, after six months of fighting and look set to take
power.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday said New Zealand would
recognise the rebel's governing body the National
Transitional Council (NTC) and David Strachan, New Zealand
ambassador in Cairo, was preparing to travel to Benghazi to
meet its members.
Mr McCully said it was clear the rebels would defeat dictator
Muammar Gaddafi, but that would take a bit longer.
"I think that it's fair to say the outcome is now clear and
it would be I think on everyone's mind that we would should
try and see the obvious conclusion now arrived at without any
further bloodshed," he told Radio New Zealand.
Moves to engage with the NTC started a month ago.
"It was clear to us that we should start a process of
engagement with the NTC and at that stage I asked our
ambassador to make arrangements to go to Benghazi and open up
a more formal dialogue with the authorities.
"He's been in touch with them directly in Benghazi but also
through their ambassador in Cairo, where our embassy is
based."
Mr Strachan would visit the week after next so as not to
clash with religious festival Ramadan.
New Zealand had previously offered support for Libyans
displaced by the conflict.
"And in the last day or so I've been discussing with the
ambassador whether we might make a further contribution as
part of his visit to Benghazi.
"Clearly there are going to be some priority areas, one of
them appears to be in the area of providing health care to
people who have suffered significantly in recent weeks but we
will take that step by step.
"Right now we are just watching the situation unfold and
hoping that we will see this thing bought to its natural
conclusion without too much further bloodshed."
Mr McCully welcomed NTC calls for restraint.
"Its pleasing and very welcome to see that the head of the
NTC is calling for restraint, calling for the rule of law to
be applied and I think that these are encouraging signs from
the emerging authorities in Tripoli."
Several New Zealanders chose to remain in Libya but have not
sought assistance.
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