Egyptian FM dicusses Libyan crisis in meeting with Algerian president

Ahram Online , Friday 24 Oct 2014

Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukri says discussed coordination on Libyan crisis with Algerian President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika on Thursday; latter assures gas shipments to Egypt underway

Sameh Shukri
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri (Photo: AP)

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said Egypt is coordinating with Algeria regarding the crisis in Libya, after a meeting between the minister and the Algerian President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika on Thursday.

In a statement to state news agency MENA, Shoukri stressed the importance of working closely on developments in the country bordering Egypt and Algeria, saying the long borders between Libya and them poses a common threat, namely the infiltration of terrorists to both countries.

Fighting between armed factions in Libya since the fall of Libyan leader Moamar Gaddafi in 2011 spiked earlier this year and the country's internationally recognised government and parliament fled Libyan capital Tripoli to the eastern cities of Bayda and Tobruk.

While fighting between government allied forces and rebels continues, Shoukri said the Libyan unity and the legitimacy of its official government must be safeguarded, assuring Egypt and Algeria see eye-to-eye on the crisis.

Shoukri also mentioned discussing Egypt's energy needs with the Algerian president, who said Algerian the delivery of gas shipments promised to Egypt is underway, pending technical and logistical procedures.

In August and September, Shoukri presided over a foreign ministers meeting of Libya's neighbours to discuss an initiative launched by them to resolve the Libyan crisis through supporting a political solution that ends the fighting and working against arms deliveries for militias.

In the meetings, the countries agreed to support Libyan institutions, on top of which they declared is the elected parliament in Tobruk.

Egypt is recently announced the training of Libyan security forces in counter-terrorism.

Egypt is afraid violence in Libya will spill over its western border. Algeria was Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's first destination outside of Egypt after his inauguration in July.

Shoukri stressed in the meeting that any solution should be reached without foreign intervention that may increase hostilities between Libyans, and within the framework of initiatives set by its neighbors.

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