Greek FM in Libya for talks with pro-Haftar parliament ahead of Sirte battle

The surprise visit from the Greek offical is the latest sign of deepening ties between Athens and Haftar

2 min read

01 July, 2020

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will meet Aguila Saleh for talks [Getty]

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias arrived in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk, the self-declared capital of strongman Khalifa Haftar’s rival government, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Dendias, who is in the coastal city after a two-day trip to Tunisia, will hold talks with the speaker of eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, the pro-Haftar Great Jamahiriya reported.

Greek media said Dendias' trip is part of efforts to broker a ceasefire between Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army and the UN-recognised Government of National Accord.

Haftar's forces have suffered a series a defeats to the Turkish-backed GNA in recent months, with signs of deepening ties between Greece and Libya's rival authority.

Early this year, Haftar visited Athens after the Tripoli-based GNA signed a maritime and security cooperation deal with Turkey.

Greece staunchly opposed that deal, which expands Turkey’s maritime borders in the contentious Mediterranean.

Turkey has been a staunch supporter of the GNA, which is led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

In January, the UN-recognised government voted in support of Turkish intervention, enabling its forces to turn the tides against Haftar’s assault on the Libya capital, launched last year.

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Sirte, the hometown of longtime dictator Mummar Gaddafi and a strategic access point to Libya's key oil fields, has emerged as the frontline in Libya's war.

Haftar-allied foreign mercenaries are reportedly pouring into the boundary between the country’s west and east, ready to engage government forces in a decisive showdown, according media reports on Monday.

Tensions have soared in the region, with Egypt, who back Haftar with arms and logistical support, calling Sirte a "red line" for the GNA's forces. President Adel Fattah al-Sisi says an attack on the city by the GNA constitutes sufficient grounds for intervention.

The Tripoli-based government, who have denounced Sisi’s warning, have described Egyptian intervention as a "continuation of the war on the Libyan people".

Turkey has vowed to back the GNA's push for Sirte and demanded the evacuation of Haftar’s forces from the city for a "sustainable ceasefire".

Agencies contributed to this report.