The new British Ambassador Martin Reynolds visited Benghazi on 27 January, meeting (separately) with Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar, Saddam Haftar, LNA Chief of Staff Khaled Haftar, and House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Aqeela Saleh. Discussions with the Haftars reportedly focused on promoting coordination and joint cooperation between the two countries in economic and security spheres, and developing training programmes to enhance the competence and capabilities of the armed forces in the fight against terrorism and securing the borders. They also explored the challenges of combating illegal immigration and human smuggling networks, and the need to work together to reduce this phenomenon and its consequences.
The new French Ambassador Thierry Vallat visited Benghazi on 28 January, meeting the same cast of characters in the East and holding similar discussions. In his meeting with Saleh, Vallat said they discussed substantive issues related to parliamentary diplomacy and the role of representative institutions in preserving Libya’s unity, stability, and sovereignty. They also had in-depth discussions on the political process and ways to achieve a sustainable institutional framework that serves the country’s prosperity. Saleh said he highlighted the readiness of the legal and legislative framework issued by the HoR for the presidential and parliamentary elections.