The US State Department has informed Congress that it plans to move ahead with the potential reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Libya, according to western media reports led by the Associated Press.
It is proposing to allocate nearly US$ 41 million to restore America’s formal diplomatic presence in Libya after a near 14-year absence.
The State Department told lawmakers on Monday that the money would cover “a range of security-related activities associated with plans for the potential phased resumption of embassy operations in Libya,” according to a copy of the notification obtained by The Associated Press.
The move to reopen the embassy “is essential to advancing U.S. national security interests,” it said. “The United States must remain engaged in regions where near-peer competitors and other adversarial actors are actively expanding their influence.”
To open soon?
No timeline was mentioned by the reports, however, according to a post on his social media page on 19 July, Mahmoud Furjani, the General Manager of the Hafter-controlled National Development Agency (NDA), claimed day that the US Consulate in Benghazi is set to reopen and start issuing visas ‘soon’.
He said ‘‘The significant efforts made by General Saddam during his recent visit—engaging with the Secretary of State, National Security Advisor Rubio, Ambassador Berndt, members of Congress, the US administration, and Advisor Boulos—have yielded positive results, leading to a re-evaluation of President Trump’s decision and the resumption of visa issuance’’.