DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Libyan prime minister has met with leaders of the United Arab Emirates to shore up support for his efforts to form a government after the elected parliament that chose him was forced to flee the capital by Islamist-allied militias over the summer. The UAE state news agency said that Abdullah al-Thinni was in the country Wednesday to discuss the importance of strengthening bilateral relations in a way that serves the joint interests of both countries. The UAE has cracked down hard on Islamist groups domestically and backed regional efforts to crush the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. officials had suggested that the UAE and Egypt were behind air strikes on Islamist militias in Libya, but al-Thinni told reporters in Abu Dhabi that there was no evidence to support that claim.