President Emmanuel Macron says France will reopen its embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli next Monday to show its support for the North African country’s new unity government.
Libya’s unity government led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah took office on March 16 from two rival administrations that ruled its eastern and western regions, completing a smooth transition of power after 10 years of violence and chaos.
Paris closed its embassy after evacuating some 50 French and British nationals as fighting broke out in Tripoli in July 2014. It based its ambassador in neighbouring Tunis, the capital of Tunisia.
Menfi was making his first overseas visit since taking his post, which was created following a UN-brokered process.
Prime Minister Dbeibah and an interim three-member presidency council were selected at UN-sponsored talks in February.