Greece’s top diplomat calls off Tripoli visit on touchdown

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Greek authorities say the country’s foreign minister has called off the first leg of his visit to Libya, refusing to disembark from his plane after landing in Tripoli. Nikos Dendias accused the Tripoli-based government on Thursday of violating a prearranged agreement and refused to leave the aircraft after discovering that Libya’s foreign minister had arrived to greet him at the airport. Dendias had been scheduled to meet with the Libyan president only. His plane then took off and later landed in Benghazi, in eastern Libya. The fracas comes amid rising tensions following a controversial maritime and gas deal signed between Turkey and Libya’s western, Tripoli-based administration. Libya has two rival administrations, in the country’s east and west.