Head of Libya’s Presidency Council visits Algeria for talks

By Abdelrazzaq bin Abdullah

ALGIERS, Algeria (AA) – The head of Libya’s Presidency Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, arrived in Algeria on Wednesday for his first official visit to the North African country.

Algerian Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane welcomed al-Menfi upon arrival at Algiers Airport, the state television said.

During his two-day visit, al-Menfi will meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for talks on bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, according to a statement by the Algerian Presidency.

Both Algeria and Libya are neighbors to crisis-hit Tunisia, where Tunisian President Kais Saied on Sunday ousted the government and froze parliament.

On Tuesday, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra visited Tunisia for talks with Saied on regional issues, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, without specifying whether the discussions dwelt on the Tunisian crisis.

In recent weeks, a number of senior Libyan officials visited Algeria as part of efforts to strengthen their economic and commercial relations.

In February, Libya's rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity government to lead the country to elections this December, with al-Menfi elected as president of the interim setup and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as prime minister.

Libyans hope the government will end years of civil war that have engulfed the oil-rich country since the ouster and killing of strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara