On 20 April, the USS Mount Whitney – the flagship and command ship of the United States Sixth Fleet- arrived in Tripoli (following a stop in Tunisia). Vice Admiral J.T. Anderson, Commander of the US 6th Fleet, US Special Envoy Richard Norland, and US Chargé d’Affaires Jeremy Berndt met with several key Libyan military and civilian officials in Tripoli, discussing US-Libya security cooperation, regional security, and US support for the unity of Libya. This included meetings with Chief of Defense Staff Muhammed Haddad, PC Deputy Abdullah Lafi, Acting Government of National Unity (GNU) Foreign Minister Taher al-Baour, Deputy Defense Minister Abdussalam Zubi, PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba’s National Security Advisor Ibrahim Dabaiba, and Audit Bureau Chairman Khaled Shakshak.
On 21 April, the USS Mount Whitney visited Benghazi and the delegation met with Libyan National Army (LNA) Secretary General Khairi Tamimi, Chief of Staff of Security Units Khaled Haftar, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Navy Vice Admiral Shuayb al-Sabir, and other key military officials. According to the US, the meetings in both cities focused on ‘strengthening U.S.-Libya military ties and helping Libyans advance their military integration efforts,’ stressing that the US ‘remains committed to partnering with Libyans across the security, economic, and political domains to increase stability and prosperity.’
During a press conference, Norland described the visit as a ‘historic event’ noting that it reflects Washington’s commitment to utilizing its diplomatic and military tools to achieve stability in Libya. Anderson indicated that the ship’s presence aims to support security in the Mediterranean and neighbouring countries.