16-22 December: Italian Prime Minister meets Haftar to discuss Libyan-Libyan dialogues

Dec 23, 2020 | International actors

This week both the GNA and the LNA conducted bilateral meetings with international actors to discuss political and security developments.

On 16 December, the GNA’s Interior Minister, Fathi Bashaagha, received the US Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, in Misrata. The commander of the Volcano of Rage (VoR) Field Operations Room and member of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) Ahmed Abu Shahma was also present at the meeting. The two sides discussed prospects for security cooperation between the US and the GNA and reviewed recent developments in Libya’s security and political tracks.

On 17 December, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte reportedly met with Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar to discuss developments achieved through the ongoing Libyan-Libyan dialogues. The same day, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio announced the release of eighteen Italian fisherman whose boats had been seized in September by forces loyal to Haftar.

On 19 December, the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS), Abbas Kamel, met with the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, in Benghazi. The two sides reportedly discussed security issues ‘of common interest’ to the two countries.