By Saber Ayyub.
Tripoli, 16 April 2016:
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, are due to arrive for . . .[restrict]a brief visit in Tripoli this afternoon for talks with the head of the Presidency Council, prime minister-designate Faiez Serraj.
He returned to Tripoli yesterday from the Islamic summit in Istanbul.
The visit follows that of Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni on Tuesday and then of the British, French and Spanish ambassadors on Thursday.
It also come ahead of Monday’s meeting in Luxembourg of EU defence and foreign ministers at which they are due to discuss security in Libya. It has been reported that if the Presidency Council requests it, the Europeans are prepared to send security forces to Libya to help stablise the country. Today’s talks in Tripoli with Serraj are expected to focus on the issue as well as on police and border control training. A conference call with Serraj during Monday’s meeting is also expected.
It is also reported that Serraj will press the Europeans today and on Monday to lift the sanction on House of Representatives’ President Ageela Saleh.
According to diplomatic sources, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond was asked by Ayrault and Steinmeier to join them in Tripoli today but had a previous commitment that could not be altered.
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