Egyptian, Algerian presidents agree on holding consultations on Libyan crisis

CAIRO – 2 November 2022: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met on Tuesday with his Algerian counterpart Abdel Meguid Taboun on the sidelines of the 31st Arab League Summit hosted by the North African state.

Both presidents said they looked forward to bolstering bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of economy and trade, as well as continuing military and intelligence coordination.

That is in addition to reinforcing collaboration in the field of counterterrorism, particularly in the Sahel region, given the challenges ensued from the recent regional developments.   

Both chiefs of state similarly agreed on holding consultations on issues of mutual concern, mainly the Libyan crisis. There was congruence among Sisi and Taboun on achieving security and stability in the fellow North African state as well as preserving its unity and sovereignty, according to the Egyptian Presidency's press statement.

The means to attain those goals, as per the talks of the two leaders, is holding presidential and parliamentary elections, which were initially scheduled for December 2021 but got postponed because of internal conflicts.

Both presidents also viewed that elections must be coupled with inhibiting the collapse of Libyan state institutions, consolidating the role of Libyan security agencies in combating terrorism and extremist groups, as well as maximizing international efforts aimed at the deportation of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya.