Prime Minister of Libya’s interim Government of National Unity, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, discussed “defensive cooperation” with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to a statement released by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
This dialogue took place during a meeting with Saudi Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on the sidelines of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition’s defense ministers’ council meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The official Saudi news outlet reported that the meeting covered bilateral relations between the two nations, various agenda items of the meeting, and explored defense cooperation, along with discussing the latest regional and international developments.
The gathering was attended by prominent figures such as the Saudi Chief of General Staff, Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, the Director-General of the Defense Minister’s office, Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, and the Saudi representative to the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, Major General Zafar bin Mohammed Al-Shehri.
From the Libyan side, the Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Affairs and the Cabinet, Adel Jumaa, and the Cabinet’s advisor, Ibrahim Dbaiba, were present.
According to a statement on the interim Government of National Unity’s Facebook page, the meeting focused on military cooperation, training, and counter-terrorism between the two countries.
The Saudi Defense Minister emphasized the need for intensified consultations between Saudi Arabia and Libya on combating terrorism, expanding cooperation in various training fields, and continuing bilateral meetings in all areas.
Earlier in the day, Dbaiba participated in the second meeting of the defense ministers of the coalition’s member states, attended by 42 countries, along with Salahuddin al-Namroush, the Deputy Chief of General Staff, and Mohamed al-Zein, the Commander of the Counter-Terrorism Force.
In his speech, Dbaiba highlighted the Libyan efforts in combating terrorism, praised the “epic heroism in the Bunyan Marsous battles,” and called for an immediate halt to the war on Gaza, ending crimes against its people, and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid.
He remarked that the actions of the occupying entity represent terrorism in its worst forms, with significant implications for global stability.
The coalition’s Secretary-General outlined efforts to enhance the coalition’s efficiency and foster cooperation among its members to jointly combat terrorism across member states.
The meeting concluded with a statement condemning the Israeli entity’s massacres against civilians in Gaza and stressing the importance of uniting efforts within the coalition to fight terrorism in all its forms.
