EU partly lifts sanctions against Libya

The European Union (EU) has decided to take 28 Libyan entities off its sanction list, the bloc's foreign chief Catherine Ashton said on Thursday. "Our goal is to provide resources to the interim government and the Libyan people and help to make the economy function again...The EU has acted swiftly in the light of the developments on the ground," Ashton said in a statement. Six Libyan harbor companies, banks, oil and gas firm are among the 28 entities, which have been under sanctions since February 28. The decision to lift the assets freeze in Libya came as Ashton and other EU leaders gathered in Paris to attend the Friends of Libya conference scheduled for this afternoon. "As we head for the Paris conference on the new Libya, this is a clear sign of the EU's determination to do its utmost to support the people of Libya and the interim authorities during the transition," added the statement. Ashton also confirmed that the EU would remain a strong and committed partner for the Libyan people and would continue to support the North-African country in "all possible measures."