Libya Seeks Inspiration From Moroccan Experience in Reconciliation

Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley with Morocco's Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. Photo: Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley with Morocco's Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. Photo: Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Libya Seeks Inspiration From Moroccan Experience in Reconciliation

Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley with Morocco's Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. Photo: Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley with Morocco's Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. Photo: Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdul-Hadi al-Hawaij has said that Libya wants to benefit from Morocco’s experience in the field of reconciliation, recalling that the Equity and Reconciliation Commission has made it possible for the Kingdom to address past human rights violations.

Hawaij arrived in Rabat on Friday carrying a message from Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh to King Mohammed VI on the Libyan crisis developments and the leading role Morocco can play in finding a solution.

In a press statement after delivering the message to Morocco's Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita, he said: “We are advocates of peace and dialogue and we extend our hand to all like-minded people in order to put an end to the chaos, within a framework of national harmony, backed by an equitable distribution of wealth.”

“We intend to persevere on the path of dialogue,” he said, adding that “Morocco is capable of playing a leading role in resolving the Libyan crisis.”

The Libyan FM commended “the support, farsightedness, and leadership” of King Mohammed VI at the regional, African and international levels. Morocco has “no other interest than the security and stability of Libya,” Hawaij said.

The envoy said that his meeting with Bourita also focused on the creation of a Morocco-Libyan economic forum.

Further, Bourita met with Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley in Rabat who is on a business visit to Morocco currently.

Morocco and Liberia have regular contacts and permanent exchanges on the means to promote cooperation, Bourita said in a press briefing after the talks. A multidisciplinary Moroccan mission will be sent to Liberia to explore areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of vocational training, energy, and agriculture, he added.

The two countries have agreed to further strengthen their coordination at regional and international organizations, the Moroccan FM added.



Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).