The United States (US) Special Envoy to Libya, Richard Norland, said he and an American delegation that included the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State Department, Joshua Harris, and US embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jeremy Berndt, expressed strong US support for the UN envoy Abdoulaye Bathily’s ongoing efforts to engage institutional stakeholders in a dialogue to advance the political process.
Norland, according to an X post by the Us embassy in Libya, said they had agreed with Bathily that the remaining politically contested issues could only be addressed through dialogue and compromise, adding that they also discussed the importance of a unified reconstruction plan in Derna and the flood-affected areas.
The American delegation met on Tuesday with Khalifa Haftar and the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Aqila Saleh – in two separate meetings, the US embassy in Libya said on X platform.
The US embassy in Libya said they had discussed the importance of advancing the political process to allow the Libyan people to elect their leaders, expressed appreciation for the work of the 6+6 committee and emphasized the need for institutional stakeholders to come together to address the remaining politically contested issues, including the formation of a caretaker government.
“They also discussed the importance for Libyan leaders from all sides to work together to ensure a conducive environment for Libyans to freely choose their representatives as Libya prepares for the upcoming municipal elections.” The US embassy said.
The HoR said that Saleh had told the US delegation that any new attempts to reopen new paths for dialogues and agreements would take Libya back to square one, adding that what Libya wanted at this stage was a unified government that could prepare for and implement elections.
