Sisi talks Libya crisis on sidelines of Arab Summit

CAIRO – 29 March 2017: Egypt is determined to reach a political solution to the crisis in Libya, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said during bilateral talks Wednesday with the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, Fayez Al-Sarraj, on the sidelines of the Arab Summit, according to a statement by the president’s office.

Sisi said Egypt “seeks for Libya’s stability to be restored and its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be maintained… and aims at reaching a practical formula to resume dialogue” as agreed upon in the Skhirat agreement.

For his part, Sarraj expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to start the implementation of the Skhirat agreement, which will open a path for peace to be restored in Libya, noting the “strong ties” between the two countries.

The statement said both leaders stressed the need for dialogue between the Libyan factions and to uphold Libya’s national interest.

The Skhirat agreement was signed in Morocco in 2015 between the parties of conflict in Libya under the umbrella of the United Nations. The document states the formation of a national unity government that leads the transitional period and ends with legislative elections.

Speaking at the Arab Summit in Amman, Jordan, Sisi urged for restoring Arab Unity to confront terrorism and regional crises.

In his speech, the Egyptian President tackled current regional issues including the Libyan crisis, where he assured “Egypt will never hesitate to do its best for Libyan brothers.”
Sisi added: “Egypt will continue to cooperate with neighboring countries of Libya, to settle the crisis without any foreign interference.”