TRIPOLI, Libya

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh on Thursday invited Qatar to participate in the Libya Stability Conference scheduled for October.

This came in a statement by the Libyan government following a meeting in Doha between Dbeibeh and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The Libyan prime minister had arrived in Doha on Wednesday and is expected to conclude his visit on Friday. Accompanying Dbeibeh is the Libyan Central Bank Governor Siddiq Al-Kabeer, Foreign Minister Naglaa Al-Manqoush, and Finance Minister Khaled Al-Mabrouk.

Dbeibeh invited Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to participate in the Libya Stability Conference.

This will be the first international conference on Libya to be held within its territory at the initiative and supervision of its authorities, and with the support of the UN.

While the Qatari Emiri Diwan issued a statement regarding the meeting, it did not make mention of the Libyan invitation.

The two sides also discussed the latest political developments in Libya and the Qatari emir affirmed his country's support for timely elections in Libya, the Libyan government statement said.

They also stressed that any economic investment cooperation between the two countries will be encouraged by both sides.

Rival Libyan political groups agreed in February to form an interim unity government to lead the country to Dec. 24 elections.

Mohammad Menfi was elected president of the interim setup with Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as prime minister. Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi were also voted to the three-man presidency council, giving Libyans hope that the protracted civil war would soon end.

But the oil-rich country’s political groups have yet to agree on a constitutional basis that will regulate the conduct of the planned elections.

Recently, tensions rose between parliament, the High Council of State and the unity government concerning electoral powers and laws.

On Sept. 21, Khalid Al-Mishri, the head of the High Council of State, during a visit to Rabat, rebuffed an earlier decision by the House of Representatives to withdraw confidence from the Dbeibeh unity government, insisting he would continue working with it until elections take place.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar