Tripoli: The Foreign Ministry of the Government of National Unity is actively engaged in discussions with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) regarding Libya's potential accession to the organization as a dialogue partner.

According to Libyan News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation recently held a meeting with the SCO Secretariat to deliberate on the accession process and explore mechanisms to bolster joint cooperation across multiple fields. This virtual meeting featured Al-Hassan Mohammed Rabha, the Director of the Asia and Australia Department, and Ahmed Saeed Muradzadeh, the Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO. Key participants included department directors from the SCO, Abubakr Bin Saud, the Charg© d'Affaires of the Libyan Embassy in China, and several staff members from the Asia and Australia Department.

During the meeting, Al-Hassan Mohammed Rabha conveyed greetings from Al-Taher Salem Al-Baour, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to Nurlan Yermekbayev, the SCO Secretary-General. He also presented Libya's vision for the accession process and outlined potential strategic cooperation areas with the organization.

The Libyan delegation sought updates on the memorandum of accession submitted previously, which outlines Libya's request to join the SCO as a dialogue partner. The Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, Ahmed Saeed Muradzadeh, confirmed that Libya's application had been circulated among the member states. He also highlighted that the recent SCO summit had approved a move to consolidate the "observer" and "dialogue partner" statuses into a single designation: "SCO Partner." Regulations for this new status are being drafted, with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan currently holding the SCO presidency.

Both parties stressed the necessity of ongoing communication and coordination regarding the accession process. The Deputy Secretary-General advised direct communication with the current SCO presidency to build support for Libya's application. Furthermore, the two sides agreed to continue their coordination efforts and to explore the possibility of organizing joint activities and initiatives to enhance cooperation between Libya and the SCO.