Tripoli— A high-level delegation sent to Washington by the Government of National Unity (GNU) to seek the strengthening of an economic, trade and investment partnership between Libya and the United States is viewed with skepticism among many Libyans who are getting increasingly frustrated of the continuing political impasse in the country.
The delegation, which is headed by the Minister of Oil Khalifa Abdulsadeq, has held extensive meetings in the American capital, including an expanded meeting with the US Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Affairs Massad Boulos and officials from the US Department of State’s Near East Bureau. The area of potential economic partnership include the oil and gas, renewable energy, health, mining, telecommunications, electricity, transportation, and infrastructure sectors.
During a meeting with the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the Libyan side discussed the need to overcome obstacles related to customs tariffs and import and export licenses as a first step to enhance trade exchange, according to a GNU statement.
The discussions also addressed facilitating the issuance of US visas to Libyan citizens, as a step that supports economic cooperation and trade exchange.
The two sides emphasized the importance of increasing US investments in the oil and gas sector, developing new and old oil fields as a way to increasing production, in addition to exploring promising opportunities in the mining sector, which would contribute to building long-term strategic partnerships, the statement said.
The delegation also held talks with official from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). In the healthcare field, the talks focused on how to benefit from American medical products that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with exploring mechanisms for eliminating duplicate inspection procedures to facilitate their entry into the Libyan market.
However, the visit itself has drawn heavy criticism in the social media as many commentators questioned the real objectives of the visit aside from the declared ones. Others saw the latest move by the GNU of sending such large delegation may not lead to a meaningful strategic bilateral cooperation when Libya is still divided and unstable.
As rival political forces in Libya strife to rally foreign political support, individuals, commenting on these activities on social media, did not hide their skepticism about any meaningful and positive changes in the existing of American-Libyan relations. The US remains uninterested in helping Libyan to end the over fifteen years of instability and division.
The commentators have questioned the real intentions of the contacts with Washington maintaining that they are done within the framework of the rivalry between the GNU, on one hand, and the authorities in eastern Libya that are led by the Parliament and the Libya National Army, on the other.
Still others maintain that the visit serves only personal interests not the national ones. In the words of one of those who commented on the GNU’s statement, “Libyan citizens are banned from entering America and are not granted visas. Libya is classified by the State Department as a state sponsor of terrorism, and visas are prohibited for any Libyan, even those residing there are subject to the fact that their residency status could be revoked.” “You are plowing the sea and losing your dignity and the sovereignty of your country without obtaining any benefit,” the commentator added.
“What agreements are there, while they [the Americans] are imposing a ban on Libyans? They [the Libyan authorities] should even close the embassy in Washington and leave,” said another. Another one surmised that the members of the delegation most likely “have American citizenship because America refuses entry visas to Libyans.”
According to another comment, “the [delegation’s] main task is conveying the idea that we are willing to give anything in order to stay [in power] as long as possible.”
On 4 June 2025, the President of the United States Donald Trump issued a Proclamation “restricting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the United States from terrorists and other national security and public safety threats” which included the citizens of Libya among other countries.
With regard to Libya, the Proclamation stated the reasons why Libyans were restricted from entry to the US: “(i) There is no competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents in Libya. The historical terrorist presence within Libya’s territory amplifies the risks posed by the entry into the United States of its nationals. (ii) The entry into the United States of nationals of Libya as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.”
Nevertheless, the negative attitude and skepticism that stem from the comments reflect a reality and reveal deep frustration and suspicion resulting from the impasse that dominates the political scene in Libya and the failure of the UN mission to reactivate the stalled political process.
The hundreds of commentators on the GNU’s delegation’s visit to Washington have reflected this very essence of the complex reality of the political crisis in Libya that continues to make their country a pariah state.
What is revealing, however, is that the delegation may have not been in full grasp of this very fact as they negotiated their way through in Washington as much as these observers who took it to Facebook to illustrate the deep crisis in Libya. The US would be contradicting itself if it rushed to establish a partnership with a pariah state.
Highlighting the difference between the common man who is aware of the current state of Libyan-American relations and the official delegation, a commentator said it bluntly: “You view Libyans as naïve telling them you are going to the Americans to form a partnership while you are paying the price for remaining in power… Stop fooling the Libyans.”
The Libyan delegation included the Chairman of the Executive Team for Presidential Initiatives and Strategic Projects, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libyan Investment Authority, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, the Chairman of the General Information Authority, the Chairman of the National Mining Corporation, the Director of the Cooperation Office at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, the Director General of the Administrative Centers Development Authority, the Chairman of the Renewable Energy Authority and the Director General of the General Electricity Company.
