Herman Van Rompuy meets with Chairman of Libyan Transitional National Council

"This is our second meeting. Our first meeting (albeit short) took place on March 11 just before an extraordinary European Council which I had called to discuss the then unfolding crisis in Libya. On that occasion the EU's Heads of State and Government paved the way for further international diplomatic efforts, leading to UN Security Council Resolution 1973 a few days later. It was a resolution of historic significance, turning the principle of "responsibility to protect" into actual practice for the first time. Its implementation - with European countries still in the lead - has helped to save thousands of lives.

The European Council was amongst the very first to recognise the TNC as a legitimate political interlocutor. The Union's engagement with the TNC since the beginning has contributed to its recognition and increasing authority both in Libya and abroad. Dr. Jibril's visit today was a further step forward on that road.

Today we have discussed 3 key aspects of the crisis: developments on the ground; the role and mission of the TNC; and the perspectives for a political solution and the post-conflict phase.

Since the beginning of the crisis, the EU has underlined its key objectives: to protect civilians from the brutality of a regime which has lost all its credibility; and to ensure that the aspirations of the Libyan people are met," the statement reads.