Tunisia says it won't take part in Libya summit in Berlin
Tunisia said Saturday it would not take part in an international summit on Libya's crisis that is set to take place in Berlin after receiving a "late" invitation.
The foreign ministry in Tunis thanked German chancellor Angela Merkel for extending an invitation on Friday to President Kais Saied.
But "in view of the late invitation and Tunisia's absence in preparations" for the summit the country will not participate, the ministry said in a statement.
The summit is due to start on Sunday with leaders of Russia, Turkey and France as well as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo set to attend.
Libyan Strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive last April against Tripoli, seat of the UN recognised Government of National Accord.
After months of combat, which has killed more than 2,000 people, a ceasefire took effect on January 12 backed by both Ankara and Moscow, which is accused of supporting Haftar.
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The UN sees the conference as an opportunity to reduce foreign interference in the country, which has been mired in chaos since a 2011 NATO backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
Local media had on Thursday decried the absence of an invitation to Tunisia, which has some 450 kilometres of common border with Libya and is preparing for a possible influx of people fleeing fighting.
Le Temps, a daily newspaper, deplored the absence of an invitation at that stage as "incomprehensible" and a "heavy blow for diplomacy".