Kazakhstan has recognized the new government of Libya, Caspionet reported. This was announced after a meeting of the Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Sarybai with Libya's charge d'affaires in Kazakhstan, Ahmed Al-Dib. According to the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Askar Abdrakhmanov, the Libyan diplomat informed the Kazakh side on the developments in his country and the steps taken by the National Transitional Council to stabilize the situation. Kazakhstan, in its turn, expressed hope that the National Transitional Council of Libya is taking urgent measures to ensure the safety of civilians as well as to restore the stable operation of the government of the country.
The citizens of Kazakhstan, who were on the consular register in Libya, returned home in February, after the unrest in the country had just began. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are currently no Kazakh citizens in Libya.
In mid-February, Libya faced mass demonstrations calling for the withdrawal of Gaddafi, who rules the country for over 40 years. The demonstrations then turned into an armed confrontation between the government forces and rebels. UN Security Council imposed no-fly zone over Libya on March 17. A coalition of Western countries began a military operation in Libya on March 19 to ensure no-fly zone, arms embargo and civil protection. The operation's leadership then was completely taken over by NATO. The mandate of the operation was due to expire on June 27, but on June 1, the NATO extended operation for 90 days - until the end of September.