Cairo: The foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, during their fourth ministerial meeting of the Libyan Neighboring Countries Mechanism, held today in Cairo, affirmed that a Libyan-led political solution remains the only way to end the crisis in Libya. They reiterated their support for the unity and sovereignty of Libyan territory and rejected all forms of foreign interference, while emphasizing the necessity of holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously and as soon as possible.
According to Libyan News Agency, the meeting was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, and Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, as part of ongoing coordination and consultation among Libya's immediate neighbors regarding political and security developments.
In their concluding statement, the ministers emphasized the importance of advancing the political process under the auspices of the United Nations, leading to an end to the division and the unification of Libyan state institutions. They stressed that the political process must be entirely Libyan-led and Libyan-owned, emanating from a consensus among all segments of the Libyan people without exclusion.
The ministers also expressed their concern regarding the security challenges facing Libya, including incidents of violence and political assassinations. They called on all Libyan parties to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and work towards consolidating the ceasefire and strengthening security and stability throughout the country.
The meeting emphasized the necessity of the withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries from Libyan territory within a defined timeframe, in support of the efforts of the Joint Military Commission (5+5), and to create the conditions for unifying the military and security institutions.
The ministers affirmed that achieving the desired political settlement requires adopting a comprehensive approach that considers political, economic, and social tracks, contributing to security, stability, and development for the Libyan people.
The ministers agreed to continue coordination and consultation with the United Nations and regional and international partners, including the League of Arab States and the African Union, in support of reaching a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement in Libya.
The ministers also announced the continuation of the Tripartite Neighboring Countries Mechanism meetings on a regular basis, with Algeria to host the next meeting at a date to be determined through diplomatic channels.