Boulos: Malta talks between eastern and western Libyan officials aim to support state unification

US President’s Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos said on Wednesday that the meeting he held two days ago in Malta with senior officials from eastern and western Libya was intended to support efforts to unify Libya’s state institutions, praising the discussions that took place in Valletta.

In a post on X, Boulos wrote: “I was pleased to convene another meeting with senior officials from western and eastern Libya on July 6, this time in Malta,” adding, “Our goal was to support Libyan efforts to unify the country’s state institutions.”

Boulos said he welcomed what he described as constructive discussions among the Libyan participants, stressing that a unified Libya would be more stable and prosperous, as well as a stronger economic and security partner for the international community, including the United States.

The meetings in Valletta included two rounds of talks. The first brought together eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar’s deputy, Saddam Haftar, Government of National Unity Deputy Defense Minister Abdulsalam Al-Zoubi, and members of the Joint Military Commission (3+3). The second meeting included Saddam Haftar, GNU National Security Adviser Ibrahim Dbeibah, and Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs Walid Al-Lafi.

The Times of Malta described the Valletta meetings as a significant attempt to ease tensions between Libya’s rival power centers, saying they formed part of US-led efforts to advance political reconciliation and unify the country’s divided institutions.

According to the newspaper, sources described Monday’s discussions as “encouraging,” saying the two sides appeared closer to reaching an understanding while cautioning that the talks remain sensitive, noting that similar agreements have collapsed at the final stage in the past.

The report said the agenda was not disclosed, but discussions reportedly focused on security cooperation, military unification, and advancing the political process, within the framework of a US initiative aimed at breaking Libya’s prolonged political deadlock through restructuring the executive authority and reunifying divided state institutions.