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German Embassy in Tripoli reopened today
Today (25 September), a Federal Foreign Office spokesperson issued the following statement on the reopening of the German Embassy in Tripoli:
“The German Embassy in Tripoli was reopened today, following an order by Foreign Minister Westerwelle.
It now has the task of actively and effectively assisting with the expansion of Germany’s political, economic, and cultural ties with the ‘new Libya’, and of coordinating German support efforts.
Foreign Minister Westerwelle has assured the Transitional National Council that Germany will help Libya with its new beginning, as it moves down the path towards democracy and the rule of law.”
Following the arrival in Libya of the new German Ambassador, Rainer Eberle, the German Embassy in Tripoli is open for business as of today. Little by little, the embassy is again becoming fully operational. Ambassador Eberle has already held first talks with Libyan Foreign Ministry officials.
The reopening of the embassy was prepared by a core team of diplomats and security staff that had been deployed to Libya for several days. This embassy team was in contact with Transitional National Council representatives who had already moved to Tripoli, with representatives of other diplomatic missions, and with United Nations mission staff (UNSMIL).
On 3 March, the German Embassy in Tripoli had been closed for the time being on security grounds. As part of the shut-down, diplomatic staff had also been evacuated. As of May, a German liaison office had been operating in Benghazi.