<article data-history-node-id="448196" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/libyas-al-menfi-praises-palestinian-steadfastness-face-oppression" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/libyas-al-menfi-praises-palestinian-steadfastness-face-oppression" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Libya’s al-Menfi praises Palestinian 'steadfastness' in the face of 'oppression'</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>Mohamed al-Menfi, head of the Tripoli-based Libyan Presidential Council, said that the 81st session of the United Nation's General Assembly takes place as the world goes through a “profound transformation” in the “balance of power” and the “ethics” surrounding its use.</p> <p>In remarks delivered at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, he said a major challenge facing the international community is how to build an international order “in which the rule of law is an equal right, not a privilege of the most powerful”.</p> <p>Al-Menfi&nbsp;lamented the absence of the Palestinian delegation, whose members were refused a visa by the US to attend the assembly.</p> <p>“The plight of the Palestinian people continues to worsen after decades of occupation, repression,” he said. “Yet they remain steadfast in their adherence to their right to life and self-determination.”</p> <p>Al-Menfi pledged Libya’s “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia, condemning “any targeting that threatens it or endangers Islamic holy sites”, after a strike originating from Iraq hit the Riyadh’s East-West pipeline.</p> <p>“We want strong relations with our Arab surroundings, especially our neighbouring countries,” he continued, adding that Libya seeks relations based on “common interests, mutual respect, non-interference and respect for national sovereignty”.</p> </div> </div> </article>