Libya National Dialogue To Start Next Month: Pm

Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni on Wednesday said an upcoming conference of Libya's neighbors – to be held in Sudanese capital Khartoum next month – would lay the foundation for dialogue among the restive North African country's diverse factions.



He did not, however, provide further information about the dialogue, saying merely that his government would map out a blueprint for dialogue at the conference.



"We do not want to disclose information to the media until ideas ripen in this regard," al-Thinni said at the conclusion of his trip to Sudan.



He added that the blueprint for dialogue would call for "concessions" by all parties.



Addressing the media at a joint press conference with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, al-Thinni added that his visit to Sudan had laid the foundation for a strong relationship between the two countries.  



He said Libya and Sudan had overcome the "summer cloud" that had haunted their relations in recent months.



Al-Thinni lauded Sudanese support for the Libyan uprising against late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.



"A deteriorating security situation in Libya will negatively affect neighboring countries, especially Sudan," al-Thinni asserted. "That's why we will work together so that stability can be restored."



-Frank talk-



Al-Bashir, for his part, said he and al-Thinni had spoken frankly about false reports published by "enemy media," without elaborating on the nature of the alleged reports.



"We agreed to perk up our two countries' relations," al-Bashir said. "We also discussed the measures that Sudan should take to help Libyans reach a consensus for peace."



Al-Bashir said his country was keen on helping Libyans end their current suffering, noting that this suffering had haunted the lives of Libyans both during and after Gaddafi's rule.



The Sudanese president stressed the importance of maintaining a strong army in Libya, saying that Sudan would help Libya build a formidable military through joint military agreements.



Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Dairi said Tuesday that al-Thinni's visit to Sudan aimed to promote bilateral relations in all fields.



The foreign minister added that, during his visit, al-Thinni hoped to turn a new page in relations between the two countries following Libyan accusations that Khartoum was supporting militias on its soil.  



Libya has been suffering turmoil since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011.



In the three years since, rival militias have clashed in Libya's main cities, including capital Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi.



The government, meanwhile, has remained largely absent from the scene.



The political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government in the country, each of which has its own institutions.



Vying for legislative authority are the newly-elected House of Representatives, which convenes in Tobruk, and the General National Congress, which – even though its mandate ended months ago – continues to convene in Tripoli.



The two assemblies support two different governments respectively headquartered in the two cities.



By Mohamed al-Khatem



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Hartum