Libya’s Government of National Unity on Sunday summoned home its ambassador in Athens for consultation, in response to recent diplomatic controversy with Greece after the country’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias refused to get off the plane during an aborted visit to the capital Tripoli last week.
“Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush summoned Ambassador (Hamed Bashir) Al-Mabrouk for consultation to clarify the diplomatic issue caused by Greek minister Dendias on Thursday, Nov. 17,” said a statement by the Tripoli-based Foreign Ministry.
“Foreign Minister Mangoush asked Libya’s Ambassador to Athens to issue a protest note to the Greek authorities to clarify the behavior of Foreign Minister Dendias,” it added.
“Such unconsidered behaviors have repercussions that jeopardize Libya’s confidence and stability, and indirectly invite division in the country,” the statement said.
Dendias was scheduled last Thursday to meet Mohamed Menfi, chairman of the Libyan Presidency Council in Tripoli, and then Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh in eastern Libya.
He refused, however, to disembark from his plane in Tripoli when his Libyan counterpart, Najla Mangoush, came to the airport to greet him. Instead, Dendias flew to Benghazi, eastern Libya ahead of schedule.
Greek FM says cancelled visit to Tripoli was scheduled at Menfi’s request