ISTANBUL

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah discussed prospects for expanding military and security cooperation with US Deputy Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Lt. Gen. John W. Brennan during talks in Tripoli on Wednesday, according to an official statement.

The meeting, attended by US Chargé d’Affaires Jeremy Berndt, focused on strengthening bilateral defense ties and advancing training and qualification programs for Libyan forces, the government said in a statement.

The two sides also examined efforts to unify Libya’s military institution and enhance coordination in areas including information-sharing and institutional capacity-building.

Dbeibah stressed the importance of partnership with Washington in bolstering stability and improving the operational readiness of Libya’s regular armed forces, underscoring that cooperation should prioritize the transfer of expertise and technical know-how in a manner that preserves Libya’s sovereignty and security.

Brennan, for his part, reaffirmed US readiness to continue cooperation with Libya’s Defense Ministry and to expand technical and training assistance, with the aim of reinforcing stability in Libya and the broader region, the statement said.

Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one led by Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the west of the country, and another appointed by the House of Representatives (parliament) in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref