CAIRO, Dec 31 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, agreed to intensify cooperation for a political solution to the crisis in Libya, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.
During a phone call between the two leaders, al-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s support for the Libyan people, in achieving security and stability, Presidential Spokesman, Bassam Rady, said.
The Egyptian stance “is focused on restoring safety and stability in Libya, supporting anti-terrorism efforts, undermining the activities of armed groups and putting an end to illegal foreign interference in Libya’s domestic affairs,” Rady noted.
Egypt is concerned about its 1,200 km western border with Libya, where the smuggling of arms and militants has been very active since 2011.
Al-Sisi and Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shouky, recently held a series of consultations with some of the world leaders, including U.S. President, Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, on ending the conflict in Libya.
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia support Haftar’s LNA, while the GNA is backed by Italy and Egypt’s regional rivals Turkey and Qatar.
Haftar has been leading a military campaign since early Apr, in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government.– NNN-MENA
