Sisi, Macron urge cooperation to resolve Libyan crisis

CAIRO – 30 December 2019: President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday affirmed the need to curb illegitimate foreign intervention in Libya, in a phone call with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the Presidency said in a statement.

President Sisi highlighted Egypt’s unchangeable stance that seeks restoring security and stability in Libya, backing counter-terrorism efforts and thwart the activities of armed militias, presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement.

Macron, during the phone call, stressed France’s endeavor to find a political solution in Libya. Both leaders agreed to intensify joint efforts, in cooperation with international partners, in an effort to resolve the aggravated situation in the war-torn country.

Sisi and Macron also agreed to continue boosting bilateral relations between Egypt and France, and congratulated each other ahead of the New Year celebrations.

Stance toward Libya

Egypt has earlier condemned the signing of the two memoranda of understanding on security and maritime jurisdictions between Ankara and the so-called Government of National Accord led by Sarraj, which the Libyan parliament no more recognizes.

“Egypt affirms that such memoranda possess no legal effect, as they cannot be recognized in light of the fact that Article 8 of the Skhirat Political Agreement on Libya widely accepted by Libyans defines the competences conferred to the Council of Ministers, expressly stipulating that the Council of Ministers as an entity – and not the president of the council alone – has the power to conclude international agreements,” the foreign ministry said in a separate statement.

“It is well-known that the Council of Ministers’ membership is clearly incomplete, and that it currently suffers from a serious imbalance in the representation of the Libyan areas. Accordingly, the restricted role of the prime minister is limited to managing the council’s affairs. All attempts to build legal arrangements with any other country comprise a serious breach of the Skhirat Agreement.

The MoUs have no implications on the rights of the riparian states of the Mediterranean Sea, and do not affect the maritime boundary delimitation system in the Eastern Mediterranean region,” the ministry continued.

Egypt called upon the international community to face this "negative approach," which coincides with Germany’s efforts to reach a comprehensive peaceful solution for the conflicting parties of Libya.