By IANS,
New Delhi : French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe Friday said NATO’s military operations in Libya will soon end with the killing of Muammar Gaddafi and called for joint efforts with New Delhi to set up stable democratic institutions in the North African country.
“This puts an end to 42 years of tyranny and terror. The military operations will end soon,” Juppe said in a speech on India-France relations here while alluding to Gaddafi’s death.
“This also opens up a new chapter for a free Libya,” he said.
“France and India share a common determination to support the efforts of the National Transitional Council to set up stable democratic institutions and rebuild the country,” he said.
“The military operation (in Libya) is over,” Juppe said in a radio interview. “All Libyan territory is under NTC (National Transition Council) control and, aside from a few transitional measures, NATO’s operation has reached its end.”
The situation in Libya figured prominently in discussions between Juppe and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Thursday afternoon, hours before Gaddafi’s death was relayed across TV screens.
“The two countries support the efforts of the National Transition Council representing the Libyan people as a whole, to establish democratic institutions in a free Libya, to promote human rights, and to rebuild their country after the sufferings they have endured,” said a joint statement after the talks.