Germany reopens embassy in Libya

Tripoli, Sep 10 German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced the reopening of his country's Embassy in the Libyan capital of Tripoli after over eight years of closure.

"In the presence of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, accompanied by German Ambassador Michael Ohnmacht, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Mohamed Khalil, and a number of Libyan officials, the headquarters of the German Embassy in Tripoli was reopened today," Xinhua news agency quoted a statement issued by the mission on Thursday as saying.

"This event comes within the framework of strengthening relations between the two countries and deepening our efforts to help the Libyans build a better future.

"Germany remains a committed partner and will continue to work for peace in Libya," the Embassy said.

The German Embassy in Tripoli, along with many other foreign missions in Libya, was evacuated in 2014 because of the armed conflict and insecurity.

Mass met Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah on Thursday in Tripoli, where they discussed the latest developments in the country and the upcoming elections.

The meeting touched upon "the latest developments in Libya and the possibility of moving forward toward the elections to be held later this year, as well as any challenges that the elections may face", said a statement released by the Libyan government's information office.

In February, the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) selected a new executive authority of a unity government and a presidency council, ending years of political division in the country.

The new executive authority's main task is to prepare for the general elections scheduled for December 24 this year, as approved by the LPDF.