UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Advancing the political process is a priority in Libya, where 63 municipalities are holding a new round of local elections and some factions have signed the Peace and National Reconciliation Charter, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday.

In remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said that in the coming period, parties in Libya need to speed up progress in key areas such as holding peaceful national elections, establishing unified state institutions, and achieving national reconciliation, put aside differences, and enhance trust to pave the way for lasting stability in the country.

In this process, the international community needs to respect the leadership of the Libyan people and avoid undue external interference, the ambassador said, adding that China has noticed that UNSMIL has recently set up an advisory committee regarding Libya's national elections, and hopes that UNSMIL will strengthen communication with parties in Libya and put forward practical proposals on promoting elections and resolving contentious issues.

Geng stressed that improving the security situation in Libya is still imperative, as the overall security situation in the country remains fragile. China welcomes the first meeting this year of the 5+5 joint military commission in Cairo, and calls on parties to uphold the hard-won ceasefire and refrain from unilateral actions that could lead to escalation.

The recent discovery of suspected mass graves of migrants in Libya underscores the existence of still rampant illegal migration and human trafficking there, he said, calling on the international community and regional countries to strengthen cooperation with Libya to curb the upward trajectory of criminality.

China hopes that parties will appropriately resolve the differences of the management of oil industry and the distribution of revenues, reach a consensus on the unified budget, and ensure that the country's wealth is used for social development and people's well-being, he said.

Noting that last month, for the first time ever, the UN Security Council adjusted asset freeze measures against Libya by allowing the Libyan Investment Authority to reinvest frozen cash reserves, Geng said China hopes to see the prompt launch of relevant positive measures and continued protection of the common property of the Libyan people by parties, so that frozen assets can truly benefit the Libyan people. Enditem

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