Bulgaria, Croatia recognise Libyan rebel council

Bulgaria and Croatia recognised Libya's rebel council on Tuesday as a legitimate representative of the Libyan people, the two countries' foreign ministries said in a joint statement. "The Kadhafi era is over and he has to step down immediately ..." said the statement released in Sofia. The ministries said they recognised the rebel council as "a legitimate representative of the Libyan people", who had stated their desire to be represented by a single, unified national body. "Our support stems from the understanding that the National Transitional Council is capable of governing the process of building a democratic and united Libya, based on the rule of law and adhering to the highest international standards for the defence of human rights," they added. Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov arrived on a one-day visit in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi Tuesday, where he will meet council chairman Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, his office said. A number of countries, including France and Germany, have recognised the council as the only legitimate power in the conflict-torn north African country, urging its embattled leader Moamer Kadhafi to resign. The International Criminal Court in The Hague Monday issued a war crimes arrest warrant for Kadhafi that Bulgaria and Croatia welcomed, saying: "those indicted for crimes against humanity should be brought to justice before a criminal court."