This came during their meeting on Thursday at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency.

They also stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen Libyan institutions to complete the electoral process, meet the aspirations of Libyans, and preserve their resources.

In August 2023, the Libyan Presidential Council and House of Representatives (HoR) agreed during a meeting in Benghazi to accelerate progress towards the long-awaited presidential and parliamentary elections.

Libyan elections, which were due in December 2021, have been postponed several times due to disagreements between the country’s rival factions.

The country is now split between outgoing Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah in the west and parliament-appointed Prime Minister Oussama Hamad in the east. Hamad is supported by Libyan army commander Khalifa Haftar.

Since the uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime dictator MoaMuammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been beset by years of conflict involving a myriad of militias, jihadists, and foreign mercenaries.

Egypt's support

During the meeting, El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's support for efforts aimed at protecting the unity of Libya and backing state institutions to enable them to fulfil their role at the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

This supports the interests of the Libyan people, pushing forward the path of stability and development in Libya, said Egypt’s Presidential Spokesperson Ahmed Fahmi.

Throughout recent years, Egypt has hosted several rounds of talks with Libyan rivals to reach a consensus on the Libyan draft constitution. Cairo has also hosted several rounds of talks between the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission to unify Libya’s Armed Forces.

Al-Menfi commended Egypt's supportive role for Libya on all fronts, acknowledging Egypt's sincere backing for comprehensive national reconciliation efforts.

He also lauded Egypt's commitment to unifying Libyan state institutions, crucial for regaining stability in the country.

In December, Speaker of the Libyan HoR Aguila Saleh asserted that Egypt always stands with Libya, playing a “vital role” in stabilizing the country, albeit without interfering in its affairs.