(Photo Ministry of Foreign Affairs Handout)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry held talks on Libya in separate meetings held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Libyan foreign minister Mohamed Al-Dairi and Emirati foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Al-Dairi and Shoukry discussed the ongoing cooperation between their two governments in “supporting legitimate state institutions inside Libya”, according to a statement by Egypt’s foreign ministry.
The Egyptian and Libyan ministers agreed to intensify consultation and cooperation in order to deal with the “political challenges related to the situation in Libya”.
Al-Dairi also discussed with Shoukry the efforts of Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thani’s government to restore stability in the country and enforce the will of the people, expressed during the latest parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile Shoukry and his Emirati counterpart Al Nahyan discussed regional developments, especially in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The meetings took place in the UAE on the sidelines of the Sir Bani Yas Forum, a three-day forum hosted by the Emirati foreign ministry.
The meetings come days after bombs exploded outside the embassies of both Egypt and the UAE in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Thursday. The Associated Press reported that the explosions caused damage to the buildings but left no casualties. Egypt strongly condemned the bombing, describing it as a terrorist attack.
Both Egypt and the UAE have been accused by Islamist militia coalition Libya Dawn of involvement in aerial bombing in Tripoli.
On 6 November, Libya’s Supreme Court, which is based in Tripoli, ordered on live television the disbanding of the House of Representatives. Days after the court ruling, Egypt reiterated its “full support for Libya’s state institutions” and asserted its full respect for the will of the Libyan people.
The internationally recognised legislature was elected in June and was exiled to Tobruk, which also hosts the cabinet of Al-Thani. Both the legislature and the cabinet are not recognised by the Libya Dawn militia, which largely controls Tripoli.
Libya has faced a tense security situation since 2011 when former president Muammar Gaddafi was toppled. However, things took a turn for the worse this year and fighting escalated. Fierce daily fighting currently occurs in Benghazi and in Tripoli.
