Seoul: South Korea has formally requested Libya to facilitate the expansion of South Korean companies within the North African nation's oil and refining sectors, as per a statement from Seoul's foreign ministry on Tuesday. This appeal was made by First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo during a meeting with Fatalla Elzuni, Libya's Minister of State for African Affairs, who was visiting Seoul for the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Elzuni acknowledged the recent stabilization of Libya's security, economic, and political situations and expressed optimism about the entry of more South Korean firms into Libya's construction and infrastructure sectors. Park mentioned that the South Korean Embassy in Libya would soon resume full operations, a move aimed at fostering mutually beneficial cooperation. The embassy has been operating on a rotational basis between Libya and Tunisia since March 2022.

In a separate meeting, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina engaged with Chad's Deputy Foreign Minister Fatime Aldjineh Garfa. The discussion focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as development assistance in education and health, as the countries celebrate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Garfa expressed hope for strengthened ties in areas where South Korea excels, including climate change, education, and infrastructure, along with an increase in high-level exchanges between the two nations, as noted by the ministry.