UNSMIL welcomes military meeting in Sirte, encourages continued dialogue

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomed a meeting held in Sirte between the chiefs of staff of the naval, air and air defence forces from eastern and western Libya, describing it as an important step towards building confidence, strengthening cooperation and advancing efforts to unify the military institution.

In a statement, the mission praised participants for agreeing on practical measures to improve coordination, including joint exercises and developing communications.

It said the meeting built on previous efforts and represented further progress in confidence-building among Libya’s military parties. The mission reaffirmed its support for the process, which it described as Libyan-led and Libyan-owned.

The talks followed the June meeting between the eastern and western chiefs of staff, Khaled Haftar and Salah al-Namroush, and the outcomes of a 12 July meeting in Sirte.