Sarkozy, Cameron call on EU to recognize Libyan opposition

LONDON, March 11 (Itar-Tass) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy and
British Prime Minister Davis Cameron called on the European Union to
recognize the opposition Libyan National Council and urged Muammar Gaddafi
to step down.
"We need to send a clear political signal that we consider the Council
as a viable political counter-party and an important voice for the Libyan
people at this time," the two leaders said in a joint declaration
addressed to European Union Council President Herman von Rompuy on
Thursday.
"It is clear to us the (Libyan) regime has lost any legitimacy that it
could have," the letter said.
"To end the suffering of the Libyan people, Muammar Gaddafi and his
clique must leave," said the statement issued on the even of an emergency
EU summit devoted to Libya.
However Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said most EU
member-countries do not back the initiative of France which recognized the
Libyan National Council on Thursday.
He told BBC many EU countries recognize states rather than interim
governments or groups of insurgents.
He added the EU summit will consider a common attitude to the Libyan
crisis rather than recognition of governments