Nigeria Restores Ties With Libya

Nigeria Restores Ties With Libya

Nigeria has restored ties with the Libyan government, re-instating her envoy in Tripoli, five months after he was recalled.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja announced that Ambassador Isah Mohammed, who was recalled in March, after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's called for the splitting of Nigeria along religious lines, would be returning to his post in Tripoli.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ambassador Martins Uhomoibhi, who announced this, also said that relations between Nigeria and Libya had been strengthened, as ''we have restored our envoy and Libya will do the same.''

Addressing consular challenges

On the government's intervention regarding Nigerians on death row in Libya, Uhomoibhi said consultations were under way on how to peacefully address consular challenges between both countries.

He said the Nigerian government was committed to reviewing its bi-national agreements with other nations while promoting its policy of Citizen Diplomacy.

He said the ministry had constituted a committee to review the nation's 68 bi-national agreements, with a view to ascertaining the progress achieved so far, in the agreements and reviewing them.

Strengthening migrant policy with Britain

In this wise, partnerships with Britain on migration are to be strengthened.

Ambassador Uhomoibhi said officials of both countries would meet in London in September to discuss migration issues, “as part of constant dialogue to strengthen the partnership.''

He said the issue of Nigerians serving jail terms in Britain would be addressed, among other migration issues.

Uhomoibhi described existing bilateral relations as vibrant, saying Britain had the largest concentration of Nigerians in Europe.

He said the dialogue was aimed at resolving migration and consular issues which could threaten the cordial relations between both nations.

NAN/Williams/Yinka