The United Kingdom’s (UK) ambassador Caroline Hurndall has announced reopening its embassy in Libya on Sunday after an eight-year hiatus, saying this step is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the whole of Libya.
Hurndall said on Twitter that although the embassy is based in Tripoli, the reopening remains a demonstration of British commitment to the whole of Libya on its way to achieving a permanent political settlement.
Hurndall added in her opening remarks at the ceremony of reopening the embassy that if Libya is to fulfill its political and economic potential, Libya’s leaders must continue to implement the 23 October Ceasefire Agreement, work together, and pursue compromise, cooperation and concord.”
The embassy was closed in August 2014 when Tripoli was seeing heavy armed clashes and political uncertainty.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah expressed his happiness at Britain's embassy reopening in Tripoli, stressing the need for this step to be reflected in providing better services to Libyan citizens wishing to obtain UK visas, in addition to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Among the embassies that announced the soon-to-be return of their work to Tripoli as well is the Russian Embassy, as stated by the Special Representative of the Russian President to the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov.