Syrian Foreign Minister discusses Benghazi consulate with Saddam Haftar

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met with Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander of the Libyan Army in the east, in Benghazi on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The discussions focused on the potential opening of a Syrian consulate in Benghazi, shared security matters, and the status of missing Syrian citizens in Libya.

Accompanying the Foreign Minister was Major General Abdel Qader Tahan, head of the Syrian General Intelligence Service. This visit follows the reopening of the Syrian embassy in Tripoli on August 30, 2026, which ended a closure lasting more than fourteen years. During the Tripoli reopening, an agreement was signed to activate and amend the bilateral joint committee to enhance cooperation between the two nations.

There are approximately 200,000 Syrian citizens living in Libya, primarily in Tripoli and Benghazi. To address the issue of missing persons, the Syrian Foreign Ministry previously launched an electronic platform in April 2026 to register reports of missing or detained citizens to facilitate tracking through diplomatic channels.