New Delhi is yet to receive any communiqué from the Libyan authorities in Tripoli on the status of the North-African country’s embassy here. Ali Al-Essawi, Libya’s Ambassador to India, resigned on February 21 last, decrying the Gadhafi regime’s violent crackdown on the protesters. Later, all other diplomats of the embassy, too, issued a statement siding with the agitators protesting against Gadhafi. They, however, did not resign from their respective positions.
In the absence of any formal communication from the Libyan government, New Delhi still formally considers Ali Al-Essawi the envoy of the North-African country.
Tripoli has formally communicated to Washington that it withdrew the recognition of Libyan Ambassador to the US, Ali Aujali.
With doubts looming large over the status of the Libyan Embassy in New Delhi, India has been mostly in direct contact with the officials of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation or the foreign office of the turbulent country for the issues related to evacuation of Indians.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday spoke to Gadhafi’s Foreign Minister Mussa Kusa to seek his help to expedite evacuation of Indian citizens from Libya.
Krishna is understood to have thanked Kusa for facilitating clearance for three special flights from India to land at Tripoli daily to bring back the Indians.
Earlier, the Libyan authorities had granted permissions for two Air India flights to land and take off from Tripoli everyday. Krishna is also believed to have requested Kusa to give clearance for Indian aircraft to land in Libyan cities Sirte and Sebha to evacuate Indians stranded there.