Qatari, Libyan premiers discuss bilateral cooperation, regional developments

ISTANBUL

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks in Doha on Tuesday with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

Discussions between the two sides dwelt on bilateral cooperation and regional developments, especially the situation in Gaza and Syria, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Sheikh Mohammed reiterated Qatar’s “steadfast support for Libya's unity and achieving its people's aspirations for stability and development."

He also underlined his country's "full support for the Libyan political process, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and all peaceful solutions that preserve Libya's sovereignty."

The UN and local efforts are trying to bring Libya to elections to resolve the crisis between two rival governments -- the Government of National Unity headed by Dbeibeh based in Tripoli, which administers the western part of the country and is recognized by the UN, and the other appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, headed by Osama Hamad and based in Benghazi, which manages the east and most of the south.

Libyans hope the long-awaited elections will bring an end to political and armed conflicts, and conclude the transitional periods that have followed the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi's regime, which ruled from 1969 to 2011.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar