Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met on Saturday with Libya’s Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh, emphasizing the necessity of unifying efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement to resolve the Libyan crisis.
The meeting took place in the city of Al-Alamein in northwestern Egypt, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
It followed a meeting held in the same city a few days earlier, on June 30, between al-Sisi and the commander of eastern Libyan forces, Khalifa Haftar.
During the meeting with Aguila Saleh, Al-Sisi was joined by his intelligence agency chief, Major General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, and they discussed the latest developments in Libya, the statement said.
Hold elections
The Egyptian president affirmed “reaffirmed Egypt's firm position in support of Libya and its national institutions, emphasizing the importance of preserving Libya's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He stressed “the necessity for unifying efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement to the crisis. This is in order to allow for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held concurrently as soon as possible, in a way that fulfills the aspirations of the Libyan people for stability, security, and a dignified life.”
Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt's commitment “to continuing its efforts and coordination with all Libyan brothers and concerned international parties. This stems from Egypt's belief in the necessity of stability in the brotherly state of Libya and that Libya's political and security stability is an integral part of Egypt's own stability.”
The president expressed “Egypt's interest in the reconstruction of Libya and in participating in this process, as well as transferring Egyptian development expertise to support the development process.”
Rival administrations
Aguila Saleh, for his part, expressed his appreciation for “the historical and fraternal relations between Egypt and Libya, and for the role of President El-Sisi and Egyptian institutions in supporting Libya's unity and the cohesion of its national institutions.”
Saleh affirmed that “this support represents a fundamental pillar for restoring security and stability and for advancing the transitional phase leading to the implementation of the upcoming electoral entitlements.”
Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the west of the country, and another appointed by the House of Representatives (parliament) in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.
The UN continues to mediate efforts to unify governance and hold national elections in the country.
