- Title: Libyan PM and NATO Secretary General hold security talks
- Date: 22nd June 2017
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FILE - MARCH 2017) (REUTERS) NATO MEMBER STATES FLAGS OUTSIDE ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS NATO FLAG
- Embargoed: 6th July 2017 10:33
- Keywords: NATO Libya Stoltenberg Al-Sarraj defence security
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: NATO,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016MD18W7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: ARABIC TRANSLATION PROVIDED BY OFFICIAL INTERPRETER
NATO Secretary General said on Thursday (June 22) that expert teams would start as early as possible helping Libya's U.N.-backed government to train and develop its military, depleted by years of conflict and facing an Islamist militant threat as well as division among Libyan militias.
As the West and neighbouring Egypt seek to stabilise Libya, NATO has agreed to help the Tripoli-based government address issues like "how to develop a modern Ministry of Defence, how to build joint chiefs, or joint military staff, and also to develop intelligence services, and all this under political control," Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting the country's Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels.
Libya slid into turmoil after the 2011 overthrow of ruler Muammar Gaddafi, with rival governments and armed alliances competing for power. A U.N.-backed government in Tripoli has struggled to impose its authority and has been rejected by factions in the east. The U.N. envoy to Libya has been trying to broker peace.
The political chaos and security vacuum has allowed Islamist militant groups to gain a foothold and human traffickers to thrive. Libya is the most common departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe by sea. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
