Libya, UK hold talks in Tripoli on boosting military cooperation

TRIPOLI, Libya/ISTANBUL

A British delegation held talks in Tripoli on Tuesday to discuss ways of strengthening military cooperation between the UK and Libya.

The delegation, led by Admiral Edward Ahlgren, Senior Adviser at the UK Ministry of Defence for Middle East and North Africa Affairs, held separate meetings with Libyan Presidency Council head Mohamed al-Menfi and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

The council said in a statement that discussions addressed prospects for bilateral cooperation between the two countries and ways to strengthen the strategic partnership in the fields of security and defense.

The two sides also discussed regional issues, including counterterrorism efforts, irregular migration, and strengthening the capabilities of the Libyan military institution.

Menfi praised “Britain’s support for achieving stability in Libya” and expressed his keenness to “develop cooperation with international partners in a way that safeguards Libya’s unity and sovereignty and serves regional and international security.”

Talks between Dbeibeh and Ahlgren also focused on “enhancing military cooperation, supporting and building Libyan military capabilities, and cooperation in training and development,” the Tripoli-based government said in a statement.

Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one led by Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the west of the country, and another appointed by the House of Representatives (parliament) in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.