Following his unannounced visit in Libya made on Monday to meet with officials of the Government of National Accord (GNA), German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, arrived in the UAE on Tuesday for political talks.
Informed sources said that the talks will take place in the capital, Abu Dhabi, and touch upon the Libyan conflict. Maas is likely to press for the implementation of the final statement of the Berlin Conference. At that time, the UAE, Russia, Egypt and Turkey, among others, pledged to stop the smuggling of weapons, and mercenaries into the country. According to the UN, the ongoing arms embargo, imposed on Libya since 2011, continues to be violated.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, and Chief of Staff Yasar Guler, arrived on Monday to the capital, Tripoli, in conjunction with the visit of Qatari Defence Minister Khalid Al-Attiyah. The two held a meeting upon their arrival with the Undersecretary of GNA’s Defence Ministry Salah Al-Din Al-Namroush, followed by a meeting with a number of GNA military commanders.
Turkey continues to support forces mobilized on the outskirts of Sirte and Al-Jufrah. This threatens to escalate the crisis, especially given Egypt’s declaration that these two cities constitute a “red line” that cannot be crossed.