Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the United Nations Libya envoy Ghassan Salame on Sunday for discussions on the latest developments in Libya, the foreign ministry said. Salame, the UN's Special Representative in Libya and head of the UN support mission there, met with Shoukry at the start of a two-day visit to Cairo, according to Ahmed Abu Zeid, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman. The official visit will include high-level discussions on the situation in Libya, with Salame also due to meet with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit. During their meeting on Sunday, Shoukry updated Salame on Egypt's most recent efforts at resolving the Libyan crisis, as well as the challenges that Egypt faces as a result of the breakdown of security in Libya, Abu Zeid said. Salame, meanwhile, informed Shoukry of the results of his field-trips to several Libyan cities, and his contacts with various international and regional players involved in the situation. "Minister Shoukry asserted that steps should be taken to restore the unity of Libya and activate Libyan national institutions," Abu Zeid said. Shoukry also highlighted the significance of the Sakhirat agreement, which was signed in Morocco in 2015. The agreement mandates a peaceful transition of power in Libya and the establishment of a national unity government. The minister emphasised the UN's crucial role in implementing the agreement. Salame praised Egypt for helping to resolve the Libyan crisis, including efforts to achieve a peaceful solution through negotiations and strengthening the political process. Shoukry and Salame expressed their hopes for further coordination between Egypt and the UN in order to preserve the unity and independence of Libya, Abu Zeid concluded. Shoukry met with Salame in Paris in July, following a Libyan ceasefire agreement. Egypt plays a significant role in negotiations to end the Libyan conflict within the framework of the 2015 Sakhirat agreement. After the ousting of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country slid into conflict, with rival governments and parliaments now in the west and east.
