Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi discussed in Tunisia on Monday the latest developments in Libyan and Egyptian efforts to help reach a political resolution to the country's civil conflict, as well as the plan set by UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame to achieve such a resolution. The discussions also included Egyptian efforts to unify various Libyan military factions. Shoukry said that these efforts are supported by all active Libyan sides as well as regional and international partners, according to Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. Shoukry expressed gratitude to the Tunisian president for his role in establishing the tripartite ministerial initiative between Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria to address the situation in Libya, which Shoukry said has effectively contributed to unifying stances and coordinating efforts on a regional and international status. He also said that Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria should be prepared for a possible influx to Libya and its neighbouring countries of Daesh terrorists who are fleeing defeats in Syria and Iraq. Shoukry stressed the importance of the three countries joining efforts to face security challenges and terror threats in Libya. On Sunday, the Egyptian foreign minister attended tripartite talks on the security and political situation in Libya with his two North African counterparts; Tunisian FM Khemaies Jhinaou and Algerian FM Abdel-Kader Messahel in the Tunisian capital. The three FMs reiterated their support for the Libyan political agreement signed in Skhirat in December 2015 as a political solution for the country's civil conflict, just hours after Libyan General Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army, declared that the agreement had "expired" and was "no longer binding." The ministers agreed to hold their next meeting in Algeria. This week's meeting was the fourth in 2017 and is part of a tripartite initiative by Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria to meet periodically to discuss the situation in Libya and coordinate efforts to end the crisis.
