Diplomatic sources confirmed that the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are absent from the consultative meeting of Arab League Foreign Ministers, which is being held in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
According to “Russia Today,” a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) said, “Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will not participate in the consultative meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers.”
In a related context, an Emirati diplomatic source confirmed that the Emirati Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, and the Saudi Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, will also not be participating in the meeting.
The Foreign Ministry of the Libyan Parliament-designated government, denounced the meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Tripoli on 22 January.
The meeting will be held under the Chairmanship of the “outgoing and illegitimate GNU,” according to the statement.
It said that this was a violation of the decision of the Arab League in its 158th session. This stipulates that the General Secretariat of the League should prepare a legal study on the authority to preside over the aforementioned session.
The statement called on the Arab League and Arab FM’s to “wait until the final legal opinion is announced.” It urged them to recognize the legitimacy of the Libyan government assigned by the Parliament, and headed by Fathi Bashagha.
The statement confirmed the eligibility of the Foreign Ministry to represent Libya, and to preside over the Council of the Arab League in the 158th session.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha.