Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Friday that it was not acceptable to have any delay in signing a final political agreement in Libya and forming a national unity government.

Shoukry's comments came as part of a foreign ministry statement about the minister’s participation in a high-level meeting on Libya at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Shoukry also said that "those who want to delay the agreement or sabotage the stability and unity of Libya should take responsibility for their actions". 

The foreign minister also reaffirmed Egypt’s recognition of the Libyan House of Representatives as the only legitimate political authority in the neighbouring country until new parliamentary elections are held. 

The meeting on Libya was attended by the ministers of foreign affairs from the United States, Italy , Libya, Jordan, Algeria, Morocco, Mali, Sweden and the British minister for Middle East and North African affairs. 

The general secretaries of the United Nations and the League of Arab States also attended the meeting. 

A 20 September deadline for creating a unity government in Libya expired amid military escalation near Benghazi, where six people died in fighting between the forces of Libya's internationally recognised government and Islamist militants allied with the Islamic State group.