Arab League Meets With World Leaders On Libya

The Arab League has met at its Cairo headquarters with world leaders seeking to find a solution to the crisis in Libya.

The meeting was chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa. It was attended by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the head of the Organization of Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and African Union Commission chairman Jean Ping.

Speaking at the meeting, Ban called for a "political" solution and immediate cease-fire to the conflict in Libya.

"We reiterate our call for an immediate verifiable cease-fire, withdrawal of forces, laying siege to cities, the protection of the civilian population and for the respect of the arms embargo as called for [in UN] Security Council resolution[s] 1970 and 1973."

The Cairo meeting comes the day after a meeting in Doha, Qatar of the international Contact Group on Libya, which is responsible for monitoring international intervention in Libya.

compiled from agency reports