On Monday, the Egyptian Parliament Speaker, Hanafi Jabali affirmed the need to hold Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Libya, away from foreign interference.
In his speech to the Libyan Parliament in Benghazi, Jabali said that Egypt “supports all settlement efforts and hosting meetings between the Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS) to support the political agreement.”
The Egyptian Speaker called on the Libyan political parties to “give priority to the Libyan interest over differences.” He confirmed Cairo’s support for “anything that helps the stability, unity, and safety of the Libyan State, and to hold simultaneous Presidential and Parliamentary elections as soon as possible.”
He pointed out that the agreement of the two Libyan chambers to set a constitutional rule represents a “starting point” towards building Libyan institutions.
The Libyan Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh, his two deputies and several MP’s participated in the session. While the Egyptian delegation included the Speaker and Chairpersons of Parliamentary committees.
The Egyptian delegation is set to “sign a cooperation protocol to consolidate bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and enhance parliamentary cooperation.”
Earlier this month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and militias from Libya, without exception.
This came during a joint press conference with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, at the Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.
In May, El-Sisi called for joint Arab action to resolve the crisis in Libya, and other Arab war-torn countries. During his speech at the Arab summit held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, El-Sisi confirmed the necessity to “stop foreign interference to end the suffering of the people in Libya, Sudan and Yemen.”
“Relying on integration between us (Arab countries) is a duty and responsibility, and we should apply the concept of joint Arab action to be extended to global issues,” he added.
Earlier, El-Sisi held talks with Italian Defence Minister, Guido Crosetto, in Cairo. They focused on strengthening military cooperation, in addition to the latest regional developments, especially with regard to the ongoing crisis in Libya.
The two agreed on the importance of pursuing “political solutions for various regional crises within the framework of protecting states’ unity, and the safety of lands.”
As for the Libyan file, El-Sisi stressed the need to “meet the Libyan people’s aspirations for restoring security and stability, and moving ahead toward the development and prosperity of their country.”
He also reiterated Egypt’s “firm stance to help create the required climate for holding Libya’s presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously.”
In turn, Crosetto stressed that Rome is “working for the stability of Libya, and to end the flow of migrants to European countries, especially Italy.”
