Libya seeks Japan's support in training coast guards, border surveillance devices

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Foreign Affairs Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Mohamed Taher Siala, has told Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya in a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday that Libya wants support in coastguard training and acquisition of border surveillance devices

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Libya's Foreign Affairs Ministry said the meeting between Mr. Siala and Mr. Iwaya was devoted to discussion about ways to strengthen relations between the two countries.

The meeting "examine ways of developing cooperation and benefiting from the experience of the Japanese side, particularly in the field of training and capacity building".

The foreign affairs minister asked for the Japanese side's help in training the coastguards and border guards.

Mr. Siala also called for the possibility of equipping the Libyan state with border control mechanisms and strengthening the competence of Libyan executives in the areas of combating illegal immigration and the return of the Japanese embassy to Tripoli, and support in the fight against terrorism.

The statement said the Japanese minister expressed his admiration for Libya's success in the process of eliminating weapons of mass destruction and wished that some countries in the region would do the same.

The Libyan Foreign Minister is attending the preparatory ministerial meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, Japan, which began on Wednesday.

-0- PANA/BY/TBM/BBA/MA 28Aug2019