In yet another goodwill gesture toward Athens, General Haftar has made an indirect move signaling a desire to move past the diplomatic incident that occurred on Tuesday, when the EU migration mission was declared unwelcome.

His son, Belkacem Haftar – head of the Organization for Reconstruction and Development and the official who met with Greek Foreign Minister G. Gerapetritis last Sunday – invited the Greek Consul General in Benghazi, A. Kalognomis, to his home on Wednesday evening to discuss bilateral cooperation planning.

The meeting took place in a very warm atmosphere. M. Haftar expressed his view that Tuesday’s incident was merely a protocol issue and emphasized that it should not overshadow the effort to advance bilateral relations.

He expressed his satisfaction with the Foreign Minister’s visit and the invitation extended to him to visit Greece. He showed particular interest in Libyan participation in English-language postgraduate programs in Greece, as well as in cooperation in the fields of civil protection, crisis management, and natural disaster response. M. Haftar also requested the involvement of Greek companies and technical experts in infrastructure projects currently underway in Eastern Libya, along with cooperation in the sectors of health and agriculture.

It was also agreed during the meeting to continue collaboration for the organization of a business mission to Benghazi under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after August.

On Wednesday, another son of General Haftar, Al Sadiq, visited the President of the Greek Community, K. Mandalios, at his residence, and presented him with a commemorative plaque on behalf of General Haftar. The plaque honored the memory of the two children of Mandalios who tragically lost their lives in the 2023 accident during the Greek humanitarian mission to aid flood victims in Derna.