Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia support Libya solution ‘without external dictates’

CAIRO – 22 September 2017: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Tunisian and Algerian counterparts stressed Thursday that a “comprehensive, political solution” is the only way out of the Libyan crisis, during their meeting on the sidelines of the 72nd UN General Assembly.

At the headquarters of the Egyptian delegation in New York, Shoukry received Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui, and Algerian Foreign Minister AbdelKader Messahel to discuss ways to support a political solution by the Libyans themselves “without external dictates,” according to the Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

During their meeting, the trio tackled efforts in support of the Government of National Accord in Libya, as well as the role played by the UN in sponsoring a political solution to end long years of division inside the war-torn North African state.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, the three ministers evaluated a number of recent international initiatives on Libya, including the six-party ministerial meeting held in London on Sept. 14, and the UN high-level meeting held on July 20.

For his part, Shoukry reviewed Egypt’s efforts in uniting the Libyan national army.
The three foreign ministers agreed on holding their upcoming tripartite meeting in Cairo; at a date yet to be announced.

On Wednesday, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi took part at an ad-hoc session on Libya at the UN Security Council as part of his participation in the 72nd UNGA.

"There is no way to divide the elements of solution in Libya," Sisi said, adding that reaching a political settlement “would enable the Libyan people to restore their potentials, rebuild their country and combat terrorism.”

In July, Cairo hosted a press conference by the Libyan military spokesperson Ahmed al-Mesmary who expressed his gratitude for the Egyptian government’s efforts to restore stability in Libya.

Mesmary further accused the outlawed Muslim brotherhood group of supporting terror in Libya, beside other states including Qatar, Sudan and Turkey.

Here is the press conference with English translation from Nile TV Egypt:



Libya has been struck by civil war since the 2011 uprising that ended the rule of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi; the oil-rich state is currently run by two rival administrations, one in the capital Tripoli and another in Tobruk city in the east.