662 illegal migrants rescued off Libyan coast: UN agency
Up to 662 illegal migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week, the International Organisation for Migration said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday discussed economic recovery and Libya issue in a telephonic conversation with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the US State Department said in a statement.
The two leaders discussed the economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19, and steps toward a lasting cessation of violence and progress on political dialogue in Libya, according to the statement.
The statement further added that Pompeo “underscored US commitment to the transatlantic relationship and the need for continued coordinated action to confront global challenges.”
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The phone call came as reports saying Maas and German Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz declined to attend the gathering of ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) in the United States.
In January, Pompeo paid his visit to Germany to attend Libya conference and push for sustaining a fragile ceasefire and getting all foreign powers to withdraw from the conflict in the North African country.
The visit came amid strains in US-German ties caused by the isolationist stance of US President Donald Trump.
In May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel declined to attend the G7 summit in Washington.
The two allies have been at odds with each other on Iran nuclear issues, Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, and defence burden-sharing, among others. Criticizing Berlin’s “delinquency” on military spending, US President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to withdraw 9,500 troops from Germany.
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