Syria's Foreign Minister discusses co-operation with Libya as embassy in Tripoli reopens

Syria's Foreign Minister, Asaad Al Shibani, visited Libya on Sunday to explore avenues for increased security and economic cooperation between the two nations. The embassy in Tripoli had been closed for 14 years until a reopening ceremony took place. During his meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, Al Shibani discussed strengthening economic, investment, and trade ties, as well as security and counter-terrorism cooperation, according to the Libyan News Agency.

Both the Syrian and Libyan governments are backed by Turkey, which has been working to enhance its standing in the Mediterranean region and address territorial disputes with Greece and Cyprus. Lt Gen Salah Al Din Al Namroush, the Libyan Army's chief of staff, met with Turkey's own chief of the general staff, Lt Gen Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, to expand military partnerships and develop Libya's military institutions.

The Syrian civil war, which lasted from 2011 to 2024, shared a connection with Libya's own conflict from 2014 to 2020, with outside powers deploying thousands of Syrian and Libyan militiamen to fight on opposing sides. Al Shibani also met with Libyan Oil Minister Khalifa Abdulsadek and Mahmoud Hassan, head of the Libyan Investment Authority, to discuss energy co-operation, investment, and partnerships.

Syria currently grapples with fuel shortages due to its oil output plummeting from 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2010 to just 85,000 bpd today. Meanwhile, Libya's oil production has dropped from 1.4 million bpd under Muammar Qaddafi to 1.4 million bpd, a decline of 100,000 to 200,000 bpd. Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara's government seeks to bolster its global image, including forging ties with nations that backed the Assad regime.

In June, Al Shibani traveled to Algeria, a supporter of the Assad regime during the Syrian civil war, to discuss improving bilateral relations. Prior to this, he had visited Egypt to meet with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The Syrian security apparatus was dismantled after Assad's removal, having once held ties to Cairo and Algiers.