Libya's Foreign Minister Deactivated After Meeting Her, Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen: I Talk About The Great Potential Of The Two Countries

Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush. (Wikimedia Commons/Libyan mofa)

JAKARTA - Libya's prime minister disabled Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush on Sunday and referred him to the investigation, after Israel said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen had met him last week, although the two countries had no formal relations.

Libya's Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Mangoush had rejected a meeting with Israeli representatives and what happened was an "ordinary meeting that was not prepared during a meeting at the Italian Foreign Ministry."

Libya's Ministry statement said the interaction did not include "discussion, any agreement or consultation", adding the ministry "renews its rejection as a whole and absolutely to the normalization of relations with Israel".

Instead, the meeting was facilitated by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, adding they had discussed possible Israeli cooperation and assistance on humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management.

"I spoke with foreign ministers about the great potential of the two countries of their relations," Foreign Minister Cohen said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Cohen added that he had spoken to Mangoush about the importance of preserving the Jewish heritage in Libya.

Libya's foreign policy is complicated by years of conflict and fierce internal divisions, regarding government control and the legitimacy of every step taken by the Tripoli government.

Meanwhile, since 2020 Israel has carried out normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan through the so-called " Abrahamic Agreement" brokered by the United States.