The EU's role in Libya

For the last few weeks the situation in Libya has dominated the news. David Cameron has certainly not been camera shy, and has been seen as playing a leading role in reaching international consensus for a no-fly zone.

However what many people forget is the important role that the EU plays in international talks, and that at the forefront of this is British Labour politician Baroness Cathy Ashton. Cathy is the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, and she has been working round the clock to ensure that we have agreement in the international community, not only with the Western powers but also with the key players in the region, including the Arab League.

It is crucial that the international community acts as a whole to stop the Libyan government from killing its own people. Cathy Ashton, representing all 27 members of the EU, has used her trademark 'quiet diplomacy' to reach important decisions not only on the UN resolution, but also on evacuating EU citizens from Libya. In crises such as these, co-operation with our allies in Europe and elsewhere is vital, and I'm glad we have someone as pragmatic as Cathy to build alliances between people during these difficult times.