Egyptian President Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, held talks on the Libyan developments at the Zoglob Presidential Palace in Baku on Saturday.
The official Spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidencystated that Al-Sisi outlined Egypt’s vision for a settlement in Libya and Cairo’s efforts in this regard to support the political, economic and constitutional tracks.
Earlier this month, Libyan Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh, and the Head of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri, met in Cairo. The two officials said in a joint statement, that they have agreed to set “a clear and specific” roadmap for elections. They also agreed to create a joint committee to refer the constitutional document to the two chambers for approval.
Al-Mishri said that the new roadmap and the constitutional base that will govern the elections will be announced soon, following a meeting with Saleh and the United Nations (UN) Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily.
He explained that the disagreement on the constitutional basis “prevented them from presenting the roadmap to the Libyan people and in the media. The issue is now being brought up for societal dialogue, through seminars and press and media conferences.”
Cairo welcomed the agreement between the two Libya chambers. The Spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the agreement “is an important step in moving forward towards holding Presidential and Parliamentary elections simultaneously in Libya as soon as possible.”
Cairo reaffirmed its support for the unity and stability of Libya, as well as for state institutions. It also called for the departure of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and foreign fighters from Libyan territories.
The statement praised the role of the Libyan Parliament and the HCS in carrying out their responsibilities. It noted that the step “represents a main path that embodies the will of the Libyan people, since it was Libyan-led.”
The roadmap aims “to organise elections and unify state institutions,” according to a joint statement issued by the two chambers.
Both sides affirmed their “keenness to achieve a consensual constitutional basis, to reach the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.”
However, the Speaker of the Libyan Parliament said that elections could be held in or before November 2023. He pointed out that “the current dispute over the constitutional basis relates to the candidacy of military personnel and dual nationals, two points, where the committee in charge will converge views.”