On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi held talks with Libya’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Najla Al-Mangoush, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, Bassam Rady, said. The meeting was attended by the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, and Abbas Kamel, head of the General Intelligence Service (GIS).
In a statement, Rady said that the President welcomed Al-Mangoush on her first visit to Cairo as Libya’s foreign minister, and stressed Egypt’s complete support for the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) efforts to restore security and stability.
During the talks, President El-Sisi highlighted the importance of the upcoming December elections as an essential step in achieving a political settlement to the Libyan crisis. He reiterated Egypt’s full support for Libya’s political process, given that “its national security is an integral part of the Egyptian national security.”
President El-Sisi also affirmed Egypt’s firm position on preserving the territorial integrity of Libya, safeguarding the capabilities of the Libyan people, and non-interference in Libya’s internal affairs.
The President added that restoring Libya’s sovereignty begins with the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries, affirming Cairo’s support for these efforts at the bilateral, regional, and international levels.
In turn, Al-Mangoush praised Egypt’s leading role in the region, and its efforts to support the Libyan people and the crisis in various political, military, and economic tracks. She added that she was looking forward to strengthening joint cooperation between the two countries, especially at the security level, in addition to raising the level of mutual diplomatic representation.
The FM added that Egypt had exerted great efforts to bring an end to the foreign interference in Libya, ensure the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign fighters, and support dialogue between rival parties.