Qatar has repeatedly expressed its support to Libya’s unity government and signed a security deal with the authorities late last year.
Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush said her country seeks Qatar’s support for Tripoli’s stability initiative ahead of the upcoming Berlin meeting, Anadolu Agency [AA] reported.
Mangoush’s statement came during a Wednesday meeting with her Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the Gulf state, following an Arab League consultative session where diplomats gathered to discuss issues of common concern, mainly the Renaissance Dam dispute.
Qatar backs Libya unity government in first FM visit in years
Qatar’s foreign minister reiterated his country’s support of Libya’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability” during his meeting with Mangoush, wishing the Libyan people “success in their path towards security and stability”.
He also expressed his wishes for the success of the people of Libya in the organisation of the national election, which is set to take place in December.
The second Berlin conference is set to take place on June 23rd, hosted by both Germany and the UN to gather world powers in a bid to look into steps needed for Libya’s stability.
The upcoming meeting follows an earlier event held in January last year that saw diplomats push for a ceasefire in Libya.
According to Qatar News Agency [QNA], the two diplomats also reviewed Doha and Tripoli’s bilateral ties and cooperation.
Qatar-Libya ties
Qatar’s foreign minister was in Libya last month in his first high-level visit in years, where he met with Interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to discuss relations between the two countries as well as Doha’s role in supporting dialogue in the war-torn nation.
In a press conference at the time, Mangoush announced the soon-to-be reopening of the Qatari diplomatic mission in Libya after it was closed in 2014 amid the war.
“We thank Qatar for its support of Libya’s Presidential Council and the Government of National Unity and its support for political dialogue,” Mangoush told the press conference.
Earlier discussions also called for the formation of joint committees to re-evaluate and study agreements and memoranda of understanding with Qatar.
The Gulf state signed a memorandum of understanding with the Libyan government in December, focusing on security cooperation between the two countries.
Libyan warlord Khalifah Haftar condemned the signing.
The May visit came after the formation of Libya’s interim government in March, which will remain in position until the December elections.
Libya has been mired in chaos since the overthrow of former leader Gaddafi – one of the Arab leaders that faced widespread protests during the 2011 Arab Spring.
Since then, regional and international powers including the UAE, France and Russia have pumped funds into counter revolutionary forces in Libya in a bid to vie for power through rogue General Haftar.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that the conflict in Libya has internally displaced more than 200,000 people. Approximately 1.3 million people need humanitarian assistance.
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