NATO's chief urged Libyans on Sunday to put aside their differences and build a new Libya after their "great victory" over Moamer Kadhafi's dictatorship.
"I warmly welcome the announcement by the National Transitional Council that Libya has now been fully liberated," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after the NTC declared the country "liberated."
"This is a great victory for the people of Libya. Their courage and determination in the cause of freedom has inspired the world," said Rasmussen, two days after NATO decided to end its air war on October 31.
"As they embark on the challenging journey from dictatorship to democracy, I call on all Libyans to put aside their differences and build a new inclusive Libya, based on reconciliation, and full respect for human rights and the rule of law," he said.
NATO will take a formal decision to end its seven-month-old operation in the next few days, the alliance chief said.
While NATO winds down its operations, he said it will continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to respond if needed "so that the people of Libya can safely take their future fully into their own hands."