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Libya's New PM to Visit Turkey, Hold Talks with Erdogan on Monday

Reuters

   ANKARA - Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh and a delegation of
   ministers will make their first visit to Turkey on Monday since taking
   office last month, the Turkish presidency said on Sunday.

   Libya's new unity government was sworn in on March 15 from two warring
   administrations that had ruled eastern and western regions, completing
   a smooth transition of power after a decade of violent chaos.

   Turkey had backed the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA)
   against the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which was
   supported by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France.

   Turkey's presidency said Dbeibeh will hold a two-day visit upon
   President Tayyip Erdogan's invitation, adding that he and Erdogan would
   chair the first meeting of the Turkey-Libya High Level Strategic
   Cooperation Council in Ankara.

   "At the Council Meeting to be held with the participation of relevant
   ministers, all aspects of Turkey-Libya relations, which have
   deeply-rooted, historic ties, will be discussed, steps that can be
   taken to further improve cooperation will be evaluated," it said.

   Turkish state media reported that Dbeibeh would visit Ankara with a
   team including 14 ministers, five deputy prime ministers, the chief of
   staff and other officials. It added cooperation on energy and health
   would be discussed, along with the resumption of projects by Turkish
   companies that were stopped over the war.

   Turkey has said that Turkish firms would take an active role in
   rebuilding the war-torn country.

   In 2019, Ankara signed a maritime demarcation agreement with the GNA in
   the eastern Mediterranean, and a military cooperation accord under
   which Turkey sent military advisers and trainers to Tripoli. Ankara
   also sent Syrian fighters to help the GNA block an LNA offensive on
   Tripoli last year.

   Greece, which opposes the maritime agreement between Tripoli and
   Ankara, called for the accord to be cancelled on Tuesday, as it
   reopened its embassy in Libya after seven years.

   Dbeibeh, selected through a United Nations-led process, has said
   economic deals between the GNA and Turkey should remain.

   Turkey, Egypt and the UAE have each welcomed the appointment of the new
   government, as have the United States and European Union. However,
   foreign powers that backed each side have not pulled out fighters or
   arms.

   Libya's new presidency council visited Turkey last month for talks with
   Erdogan.