Oil Embargo Should Be Considered If Libya Talks Fail, Spain Says

Spain said on Monday the European Union should consider an oil embargo and freezing of Libyan central bank assets if U.N.-brokered talks to resolve the country's political crisis failed. EU foreign ministers agreed to draw up proposals for an EU mission to Libya if the talks produced a deal between two rival governments and armed factions battling for power and oil wealth four years after NATO helped oust Muammar Gaddafi. Ministers backed a call by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to examine sending a mission to Libya, without giving any details at this stage. The EU has sent military or civilian teams to help a number of countries recover from conflicts.
A new EU mission would require a request from Libya and a mandate from the U.N. Security Council, where support from veto-wielding Russia and China is not guaranteed, diplomats said.