On Sunday, a Saudi diplomatic delegation arrived in Libya to discuss the necessary arrangements for the reopening of the Saudi Embassy in Tripoli, according to the Libyan Foreign Ministry.
The delegation landed at Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport and was received by a senior Libyan delegation headed by the Director of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Department of the Ministry, Rashid Abu Ghafah, and the Director of the Arab Affairs Department, Khalifa Al-Qaidi.
Abu Ghafa stressed “the depth of the historical relations that bind the two brotherly countries, and the keenness of the Government of National Unity (GNU) to strengthen them and push them to broader horizons in order to achieve common interests between the two countries.”
In 2014, the Saudi authorities decided to close the Kingdom’s embassy in Tripoli due to the deteriorating security situation.
Notably, Libyan Finance Minister, Khaled Al-Mabrouk met with his Saudi counterpart, Mohammed Al-Jadaan on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group in Jeddah.
The two discussed “steps that would strengthen economic and financial relations between the two countries, and raise the level of consultation and joint coordination with the Arab and international financial institutions to which the two countries contribute.”
In April, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan affirmed his support for a Libyan-led solution, under the auspices of the United Nations.
This came during his meeting with the Special Representative of the UN to Libya and the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Abdoulaye Bathily in Riyadh.
The two also reviewed ways of advancing the political process in Libya, as well as the international efforts exerted to resolve this crisis.
Bin Farhan stressed the need to stop foreign interference in Libyan affairs. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the meeting was attended by Assistant Minister of State for African Countries Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Sami Al-Saleh.
Earlier in the same month, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stressed the need for foreign forces and mercenaries to leave Libya, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
This came during a meeting between the Secretary-General of the GCC, Jassim Muhammad Albudaiwi with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Libyan Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Fateh Bashina in Riyadh.
Albudaiwi affirmed the keenness of the council to “establish security and stability in Libya,” and called for the removal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territory.
Albudaiwi said that the GCC “supports dialogue between all Libyan parties. We support the role of the United Nations and the efforts of its Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily, to reach a political solution, hold elections, and unify state institutions to achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people.”