Sisi, Macron talk Libyan crisis ahead of Paris conference

CAIRO – 27 May 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received on Sunday a phone call from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss the Libyan crisis, ahead of the international conference on Libya that is set to convene in Paris on Tuesday.

Both presidents discussed the latest developments of the Libyan crisis and the France-drafted road map to reach a political solution for the country that has suffered a civil war since the 2011 Arab Spring, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidential spokesperson Bassam Radi on Sunday.

The French president praised Egypt’s constant efforts for “unifying the Libyan military institutions,” the statement added.

President Sisi highlighted the importance of convening a well prepared Libyan election this year, adding that his country is keen to support the political solution for the crisis.

The two leaders also have tackled the Syrian crisis and agreed to unify the international efforts to put an end to the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people, the statement read.

The Elysée Palace announced on Sunday that Paris will host an international conference on Libya on Tuesday under the auspices of the United Nations.

Macron will meet with representatives of the Libyan government and a delegation from different political factions representing the main institutions in Libya, the Elysée statement added, noting that the conference aims at opening a new period of stability in Libya.

On May 24, a Libyan source told Egypt Today that France is seeking to resume its mediation role in solving the Libyan crisis by proposing an initiative to end Libya's political impasse with the participation of high official parties.

The source added that Paris has recently conducted several negotiation meetings with Libyan factions' leaders and a number of international countries, before announcing Tuesday's conference.

Libyan Army Commander Khalifa Haftar, Libyan Presidential Council Chief Fayez Serraj, First Deputy of the State Supreme Council Nagy Mokhtar and Parliament Speaker Akila Saleh will take part in this meeting.

The meeting is also expected to be attended by representatives of Egypt, Gulf countries, European countries, the United States, the African Union, the European Union and the League of Arab States.

Libya has been in a state of turmoil since the 2011 civil war that resulted in the overthrow of longstanding ruler Muammar Gaddafi by rebel fighters backed by NATO airstrikes.

Additional reporting by Ahmed Gomaa