On 3 November, acting Libyan Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Salaheddin al-Namroush and Libyan National Army (LNA) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Khaled Haftar officially (and separately) visited the Euronaval 2026 naval defense exhibition in Paris. Both were individually received by the French Chief of Defense Staff General Fabien Mandon.
In his meeting with Mandon, Salaheddin al-Namroush discussed issues of common interest, including the regional security situation, stronger military communication and coordination. The visit was presented by the French Ministry of Defense as part of continuing consultations between the two countries. No specific agreements or procurement decisions were announced. During the exhibition, Al-Namroush and Director of the Defense Minister’s Office Lieutenant General Jibril Shteiwi showed particular interest in modern patrol vessels and fast attack craft.
In their meeting, Khaled Haftar and Mandon discussed military cooperation, coordination, exchanges of expertise, training and capability development. Khaled Haftar praised the French role in combating terrorism, confirming the importance of expanding the scope of military cooperation between the two countries.
Khaled Haftar also met senior French presidential advisers General Vincent Giraud, President Emmanuel Macron’s military chief of staff, and Paul Soler, Presidential Adviser and Special Envoy for Libya, at the Élysée Palace. They discussed military and security cooperation, training, counterterrorism, containing illegal migration and developments in Libya and the region. Khaled Haftar affirmed the LNA’s General Command commitment to enhancing cooperation with France in various fields.
Separately, a delegation of officers from Libya’s Coast Guard and Port Security Authority participated in meetings of the EU Naval Operation IRINI, hosted at the Armed Forces Headquarters in Malta, alongside representatives from Italy, France and Greece.