On January 25, from 10:20 a.m. (local time) during 20 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Chief Cabinet Secretary, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Abdullah Allafi, Vice President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya, during his visit to Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The overview is as follows.

At the outset, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi welcomed the visit to Japan by Vice President of the Presidential Council Allafi and expressed his appreciation for the message of sympathy from President of the Presidential Council Menfi following the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi stated that Vice President Allafi’s visit was a timely one, right after the reopening of the Embassy of Japan in Libya for the first time in approximately ten years, and expressed his expectations for taking this opportunity to revitalize the bilateral relationship.

Regarding the situation in Libya, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi conveyed the message that political stability in Libya, through elections and the establishment of a unified government, is indispensable for the stability of the country. In response, Vice President of the Presidential Council Allafi explained about the stabilization of the security situation in Libya and expressed his expectations for the revitalization of the economic relations. Vice President of the Presidential Council Allafi also expressed his sympathy for the damages caused by the earthquake and his gratitude toward Japan’s assistance to the damages caused by the flood disaster that had struck eastern Libya last September.

The two sides concurred on revitalizing the bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on the ways to achieve that goal.