On Monday, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which they discussed the latest developments in Libya. They both agreed that their common goal was to ensure the restarting of negotiations as soon as possible.
In a statement, the Kremlin said El-Sisi briefed Putin on the outcomes of his talks with Libyan Parliament Speaker Ageela Saleh and General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Putin gave a positive assessment of the diplomatic efforts undertaken by Cairo to resolve the situation in Libya, according to the Kremlin’s press service. The two leaders expressed their joint determination to “ensure a real ceasefire is achieved in Libya and [that] negotiations resume under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible.”
They also discussed enhancing strategic partnership between Russia and Egypt, including joint work in nuclear energy and a number of other industries, including cooperation in combating the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Saturday, President El-Sisi announced a political initiative for a peace settlement in Libya. The “Cairo Declaration” seeks a ceasefire between the warring parties beginning on 8 June. It also includes a UN-supervised election of a new Presidential Council and the drafting of a constitutional declaration to regulate elections at a later stage.