The FINANCIAL — Council of Europe announced that Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Commission Vice-President, opened an EU office in Benghazi on Sunday.
The office is initially located in the Tibesti Hotel in central Benghazi which is home to UN and international agencies, the EU's Humanitarian Aid Agency ECHO and diplomats from national governments. The office will foster EU assistance in coordination with Member States and other international organisations.
EU foreign policy chief also vowed to offer the European Union's long term support to Libyan rebels, hours after NATO bombed the port of Tripoli and Moamer Kadhafi's compound near the capital.
"It is very important to be opening the EU Office in Benghazi which I announced to the European Parliament," Catherine Ashton said. "It will be an honour to meet the people who have been fighting for democracy and a better future for Libya. I plan to meet key people from the Transitional National Council, civil society groups and our international partners. Opening an EU Office is an important signal of our support for the Libyan people. It is the EU putting words into action."
As the Council of Europe says, Following her announcement in the European Parliament, Catherine Ashton deployed an EEAS team under Agostino Miozzo, Managing Director for Crisis Response and Coordination, on Thursday to set up the office.
"This support is not just for now, but long into the future, as long as people from the country wishes us to be there," she said after meeting Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the head of the rebels' National Transitional Council.
Catherine Ashton also met with the Chairman of the transitional National Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, in Benghazi:
"I have seen the vision of the Libyan people today all around. I saw the posters as I came from the airport with the words "We have a dream". I am here today to explain and be clear about the depth and breadth of our support in the European Union for the people of Libya", she said after the meeting.
According to EU Business, Ashton will also tour central Benghazi, the epicentre of the protests against Kadhafi, and where pro-democracy demonstrations continue to occur regularly.
Her visit is a new boost for the rebels who have been lobbying world powers to formally recognise their interim council, remarks EU Business.
The European parliament has long argued for recognising the NTC, which so has been recognised only by France, Italy, Qatar and Gambia.
Just hours ahead of Ashton's visit NATO-led warplanes struck the Tripoli port and Kadhafi's immense compound of Bab al-Aziziya near the capital.
"There were two raids on the port and Bab Al-Aziziya", the residence of Kadhafi which has already been targeted several times, a Libyan regime official said about the early Sunday NATO strikes.
An AFP journalist heard two explosions just past midnight and a fighter plane flying over Tripoli at low altitude, indicating NATO's sustained air campaign against Kadhafi forces.
International correspondents were taken to Kadhafi's residence in a regime-chartered bus but were unable to access the compound.
"They're expecting new raids, we don't have permission to go in," an official said after speaking to guards outside the compound.
On Saturday Nato struck one "naval asset in Sirte" — Kadhafi's hometown — apart from some other military targets, an alliance statement said.
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