By IRNA,
Berlin : German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for an end to the regime of Libyan dictator Moammar Qadhafi during their meeting in Berlin on Thursday.
‘This is a goal which unifies us,’ Merkel was quoted saying at the chancellery.
The chancellor urged Qadhafi to swiftly implement UN Security Resolutions on
Libya and open the way for a free and democratic development in his country.
Clinton underscored Merkel’s call, saying both countries were pursuing a common objective of ousting the Qadhafi regime.
Both Clinton and Merkel did not dwell on a likely expansion of the NATO military operation in Libya.
Germany is not taking part directly in NATO’s military campaign in Libya and has faced strong criticism for that from its close western allies, notably the US, France and Germany.
NATO foreign ministers were scheduled to discuss their controversial military mission in Libya on Thursday, at talks in Berlin a day after the Libya Contact Group met in Doha.
The western military pact remains deeply divided over the need to step up military pressure on the regime of Libyan dictator Moammar Qadhafi.
Besides NATO’s 28 foreign ministers, the Berlin meeting will be attended by the bloc’s partner countries in the Libyan mission from across Europe and parts of the Arab world.
Thursday’s talks are also slated to zoom on NATO’s ISAF military campaign in Afghanistan, where the transfer of security to local forces has already begun.
The meeting will resume Friday when NATO foreign ministers and their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are to hold talks on a disputed missile defense system.