Greek official calls off Libya meetings

BENGHAZI, Libya — Greece’s foreign minister called off the first leg of a visit to Libya on Thursday, refusing to disembark from his plane after landing in the capital of Tripoli, Greek authorities said. Instead, he flew to the city of Benghazi, in the country’s east.

The Greek foreign ministry described the fracas — effectively a snub of Libya’s western, Tripoli-based administration — as the result of a violation of protocol and agreed-on terms for the visit.

Tensions have been rising in the Mediterranean following a controversial preliminary maritime and gas deal between Turkey and the Tripoli administration. Libya, which has been mired in turmoil since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed dictator Moammar Gadhafi, has two rival administrations, in the country’s east and west.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias was on a two-part trip that was to include a meeting with the president of Libya’s western, Tripoli-based government, Mohamed Younis Menfi. That was to be followed by a meeting in Benghazi with the east-based administration.

A terse statement from the Greek ministry indicated Dendias did not want to meet with his Tripoli counterpart, Najla Mangoush, yet she came to the airport to greet him.

Dendias later told reporters that Mangoush “tried to force me, by her presence at the airport, to meet with her.”