Malta will resume its embassy in Libya and restart flights to the North African country, said Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday.
Malta is the latest EU member to strengthen ties with Tripoli, as Libya seeks to end a decade of chaos following a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.
“We will reopen our embassy and consulate in Libya in the next few days,” Abela told a news conference in Tripoli, standing alongside Libyan caretaker Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
“Flight links will also be restored,” Abela added.
No foreign airline is currently flying to Libya for security reasons.
International flights to Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt are operated by Libyan companies that do not have access to European airspace.
The oil-rich Libya has been torn apart by conflicts since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi and was killed a decade ago.
“We will work with the Prime Minister so that his country regains its strength,” Abela said, promising to support the new government “in the security field.”
Dbeibah, who was selected in a UN-sponsored process to lead Libya to the December 24 election, said he hoped ties with Malta would be strengthened.
Malta, 350 kilometers across the Mediterranean from Tripoli, is one of the closest EU states geographically as well as an important political and economic partner.
Abela’s visit comes a day after European Council President Charles Michel was in Tripoli and offered EU support for the latest bid to end the chaos.
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