WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2021) The United States explores a possibility of reopening its embassy in Libya once the security situation permits, but, unlike France, has nothing to announce yet, a State Department's spokeswoman Jalina Porter told reporters.
"We do have an ambassador to Libya. He works in our embassy in Tunisia and obviously he travels to the region periodically for meetings that are intended to begin a process of resuming the US embassy operations... in Libya as soon as the security situation permits," Porter said. "When we have an update on that obviously we will be sure to announce that."
Porter was asked during a daily briefing whether the US will follow suit after France announced that it is returning its embassy and ambassador to the Libyan capital of Tripoli next Monday after a seven year hiatus.
The United States shut down its embassy in Tripoli and evacuated diplomats to neighboring Tunisia in 2014 when intense fighting between rival militias broke out in the capital city.
The French move comes after the new Libyan executive body replaced two rival administrations in the country's west and east. The interim government will be in charge until the national elections that are scheduled for December 24.
