LNA, Presidential Council, UN Discuss Efforts to Unify Libyan Army

UN envoy Jan Kubis (L), LNA chief Haftar (C) and Vice President of the Presidential Council, al-Kouni meet on Saturday.
UN envoy Jan Kubis (L), LNA chief Haftar (C) and Vice President of the Presidential Council, al-Kouni meet on Saturday.
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LNA, Presidential Council, UN Discuss Efforts to Unify Libyan Army

UN envoy Jan Kubis (L), LNA chief Haftar (C) and Vice President of the Presidential Council, al-Kouni meet on Saturday.
UN envoy Jan Kubis (L), LNA chief Haftar (C) and Vice President of the Presidential Council, al-Kouni meet on Saturday.

Vice President of the Presidential Council, Moussa al-Kouni held talks with Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar on efforts to unify the military in eastern and western Libya.

The meeting on Sunday night was attended by head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Jan Kubis.

Al-Kouni said the meeting followed up on previous discussions on the unification of state institutions and the army.

Haftar’s office issued a brief statement confirming that the meeting was held at the General Command’s headquarters in al-Rajma near the eastern city of Benghazi. It did not provide further details.

On Sunday, al-Kouni and head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, toured the eastern city of Tobruk without their security guards.

Menfi had kicked off on Saturday a visit to Derna city, the first by a high-ranking official since the February 17 revolution.

He met with senor officials, elders and civilian and military leaderships to discuss several pending issues, such as the return of the displaced and national reconciliation.

In a statement, he vowed to support the city in all fields, in coordination with the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Kubis met with Menfi in Tobruk on Sunday. They discussed ways to expedite the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in full, without any further delay with the opening of the coastal road as a necessary confidence-building step, said a UN statement.

They discussed needed steps at national and international levels to start the withdrawal process of mercenaries and foreign fighters and forces from the entirety of Libya without any delay as requested by the UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, GNU chief Abdulhamid Dbeibeh held a meeting that included the finance minister and Tripoli officials to address efforts to improve the power supply to the capital.



France Cools Expectations of Swift Palestinian State Recognition

 France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot delivers a speech during the inauguration of the Choiseul Library as the first site labeled "Heritage of Diplomacy" ("Patrimoine de la Diplomacie") in Versailles, near Paris on June 5, 2025. (AFP)
France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot delivers a speech during the inauguration of the Choiseul Library as the first site labeled "Heritage of Diplomacy" ("Patrimoine de la Diplomacie") in Versailles, near Paris on June 5, 2025. (AFP)
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France Cools Expectations of Swift Palestinian State Recognition

 France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot delivers a speech during the inauguration of the Choiseul Library as the first site labeled "Heritage of Diplomacy" ("Patrimoine de la Diplomacie") in Versailles, near Paris on June 5, 2025. (AFP)
France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot delivers a speech during the inauguration of the Choiseul Library as the first site labeled "Heritage of Diplomacy" ("Patrimoine de la Diplomacie") in Versailles, near Paris on June 5, 2025. (AFP)

France on Friday dampened expectations Paris could rapidly recognize a Palestinian state, with the French foreign minister saying while it was "determined" to make such a move, recognition had to be more than "symbolic".

France is due later this month to co-host with Saudi Arabia a UN conference in New York on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

There had been expectations that France could recognize a Palestinian state during that conference, with President Emmanuel Macron also growing increasingly frustrated with Israel's blocking of aid to the Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

"France could have taken a symbolic decision. But this is not the choice we made because we have a particular responsibility" as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, while saying Paris was still "determined" to make the move.

Several EU countries including Ireland, Spain and Sweden recognize a Palestinian state. But Germany, while backing a two-state solution, has said recognition now would send the "wrong signal".

France is reportedly working closely on the issue with the United Kingdom, which also so far has not recognized a Palestinian state, at a time when French-British diplomatic ties are becoming increasingly tight after Brexit.

Macron on Thursday said that he expected the conference in New York would take steps "towards recognizing Palestine", without being more specific.

He has said he hopes French recognition of a Palestinian state would encourage other governments to do the same and that countries who do not recognize Israel should do so.

Barrot meanwhile also stressed the "absolute necessity" to address the issue of the disarmament of Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive in Hamas-run Gaza has killed 54,677 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry there, figures the United Nations deems reliable.

Relations between Israel and France have deteriorated over the last weeks, with Israel's foreign ministry accusing Macron of undertaking a "crusade against the Jewish state" after he called on European countries to harden their stance if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve.