On Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during which they discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in Libya.
During the talks, Shoukry stressed the need for a ceasefire in Libya to make room for political negotiations, as well as Egypt’s rejection of foreign interference in Libya due to the serious threat it poses to the security and safety of the region, said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez in a statement.
The Egyptian minister also highlighted Egypt’s keenness on Libyan interaction with the Cairo Declaration, a recent initiative launched by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to reach a sustainable political settlement for the Libyan crisis.
The talks between Shoukry and Lavrov came a day after the Egyptian parliament approved a bill that would allow sending troops to Libya to defend Egypt’s western borders.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi vowed last week that his country would not stand idle in the face of direct threats to the national security of Egypt and its neighbor Libya.
Libya has been embroiled in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.