US Pledges to Support Libyan Navy

The participants of a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). Photo: US Embassy
The participants of a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). Photo: US Embassy
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US Pledges to Support Libyan Navy

The participants of a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). Photo: US Embassy
The participants of a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). Photo: US Embassy

The US has confirmed that it would continue to expand its engagement with professional military officers from across Libya, and pledged to support the Libyan Navy in strengthening unified maritime security efforts.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the US Embassy in Libya thanked the Libyan Navy for its participation in Phoenix Express 24, a multinational maritime exercise sponsored by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).

It said the exercise brought together North African, European, and US maritime forces in Tunisia to enhance cooperation and expertise in maritime security operations.

“This year witnessed the largest ever Libyan Navy presence yet in this important Mediterranean security exercise, including the ships Al Karama and Ibn Ouf and over one hundred sailors from the west and east,” said the statement.

It added that the US “will continue to expand our engagement with professional military officers from all regions of Libya, and we will strive to support the Libyan Navy in strengthening unified maritime security efforts.”

Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando said Tuesday that in a wide-ranging meeting with Minister of State Adel Jumaa in Tripoli, “we reviewed the EU-Libya partnership and explored ways to deepen our cooperation.”

“I briefed the Minister on my recent consultations in Brussels, and we reaffirmed our commitment to advancing the rights-based structured dialogue initiated by President Von der Leyen and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, spanning key areas like civil aviation, higher education, and health.”

He said that he underscored the EU’s willingness to support Libya in strengthening its borders.

Discussions also focused on the importance of backing the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to promote stability and unity through dialogue, including critical steps to unify the budget and ensure the transparent and fair allocation of Libya’s resources.

“I encouraged him to continue constructive engagement with all stakeholders and reiterated the EU’s readiness to assist,” Orlando added.



EU Official Hold Talks in Algeria on ‘New Pact for Mediterranean’

European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)
European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)
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EU Official Hold Talks in Algeria on ‘New Pact for Mediterranean’

European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)
European Commission Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Stefano Sannino. (EU)

The European Commission’s Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf, Stefano Sannino, made an official visit to Algiers on Tuesday to discuss with senior Algerian officials the reviving of their “Partnership Agreement” and a plan to engage the partner countries of the Southern Neighborhood in the New Pact for the Mediterranean.

In a statement, the European Commission said Sannino will stay in Algeria until April 24.

“This mission is firmly in line with the consultations conducted on the New Pact for the Mediterranean, which the European Commission will adopt in the coming months, with a view to promoting a more integrated and supportive approach to regional cooperation,” the statement said.

During this visit, Sannino will hold talks with representatives of several Algerian ministerial departments, including Foreign Affairs, Energy, Finance, and Culture.

He will also take part, on Wednesday, in the opening of a conference on “New Investment Dynamics and Prospects for Cooperation” between the European Union in Algeria, jointly organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Algeria and the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency (AAPI), in the presence of representatives of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA) and the business community in Algeria.

The visit will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to revitalizing bilateral cooperation with Algeria, within the broader and strategically articulated framework of the New Pact for the Mediterranean, the Commission said.

It added that the EU “aspires to a partnership that goes beyond the very strong existing relations, particularly in the energy sector, to build other strategic complementarities for sustainable and inclusive growth, in a changing geopolitical context and facing shared challenges such as reindustrialization, economic competitiveness, and the green transition.”

The visit comes as Algeria’s Foreign and Commerce ministries hold talks with the North Africa Unit at the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, aimed at reviving their “Partnership Agreement” signed in 2002.

The new Agenda for the Mediterranean was launched by the European Union in 2021 to strengthen the strategic partnership with its Southern Neighborhood partners in trade and renewable energies, upgrading facilities and infrastructure, and managing migration and counter-terrorism issues.