Egypt calls for appointing new UN envoy to Libya

CAIRO – 10 March 2020: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry urged Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres to appoint a new UN envoy to Libya to succeed Ghassan Salameh, who recently resigned from the post.

Shoukry's remarks came during a phone call with Guterres to discuss the latest developments in the Libyan crisis, and ways to concert efforts to restore security and stability in the country, especially in light of Salameh's resignation.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafez, the two sides stressed the need to promptly appoint a new UN envoy that would be accepted by all Libyan parties.

The two sides also tackled ways to boost coordination between Egypt and the United Nations regarding the developments of various international and regional issues.

Shoukry asserted Egypt's support for the United Nations' efforts to address many issues of concern to the international community at the political, security and development levels.

For his part, Guterres expressed appreciation for the important role Egypt plays in the region, noting that he looks forward to deepening the coordination and consultation with Egypt during the coming period.

On March 2, Ghassan Salameh announced that he had asked Guterres to exempt him from his post as a UN special envoy to Libya, explaining that this decision was due to health problems and that he was unable to continue with "this pace of tension."