On Saturday, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, praised the United Nations (UN)’s central role in resolving the Libyan crisis, calling for the need to support the UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to push for a permanent solution to the crisis and intensify political dialogue.
These remarks came during a joint press conference with her Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, in the Tahrir Palace in Cairo.
In turn, Shoukry explained that Egypt supports the intra-Libyan dialogue to reach a way out of the Libyan crisis. He stressed that the recent consensus between the House of Representatives (HoR) and the High Council of State (HCS) is an important step towards unity.
He added, “we are in contact with all Libyan parties to hold presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible in order to meet the aspirations of the Libyan people, and provide security, stability and the protection of all Libyan territories.”
During her visit, Baerbock will meet with Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in addition to a number of Egyptian senior officials. They will discuss important regional and international issues, especially with regard to the recent developments in Libya.
The visit comes as part of Baerbock’s visit to the Middle East that includes Jordan.
This is Baerbock’s first visit to Egypt, and she is the first and youngest woman to hold such a high Foreign Ministry post in German history.
Last week, Libya’s Parliament appointed former Interior Minister, Fathi Bashagha to replace Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba as the Head of government.
“The Parliament voted unanimously to give confidence to Fathi Bashagha as the Head of government,” parliamentary Spokesperson, Abdallah Bliheg, said after a session in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Parliament had selected two candidates out of a total of seven: Fathi Bashagha and Khaled Al-Bibass a former senior official in the same Ministry.
Libya has been engulfed in a political crisis since the fall of long-time leader Moammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, with rivalries between the main regions, power struggles, and foreign interference.