The foreign ministers of Libya’s neighboring countries — Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia — are set to hold a trilateral meeting this week in the Tunisian capital, as part of coordinated regional efforts to support Libya’s political process and end the prolonged division that has persisted since the failure to hold general elections on December 24, 2021.
The meeting comes in implementation of the understandings reached during the latest session of the Tripartite Mechanism, which was held in early November in Algeria. That meeting reaffirmed the principle of a “Libyan-led, Libyan-owned” solution as the sole path to resolving the crisis, rejecting any external dictates or foreign interference.
According to diplomatic sources, the Tunis talks will focus on practical steps to help break the current political deadlock, amid deepening divisions among Libyan factions and their negative impact on the country’s political, economic, and security conditions.
The agenda is also expected to include discussions on supporting efforts to unify state institutions and create the appropriate conditions for holding comprehensive national elections, seen as the main gateway to ending the prolonged transitional phases and achieving lasting political stability.
The trilateral meeting comes at a time when the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is leading a structured political dialogue aimed at narrowing differences between rival parties. However, this UN-led process faces widespread skepticism among political and popular circles, given previous initiatives that failed to deliver tangible results or resolve the ongoing stalemate.
The gathering reflects the determination of Libya’s neighboring states to coordinate their positions on the Libyan الملف, driven by their awareness of the crisis’ direct repercussions on regional security and stability, and their desire to push for a consensus-based settlement that can reunify the country and place it on a sustainable path toward peace and institutional stability.