Egypt, Russia agreed on the importance of averting an aggravation of the situation in Libya as the region continues to see tensions since the signing of a controversial Turkish-Libyan maritime border and security agreement. In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said foreign minister Sameh Shoukry called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss "the latest developments in the region, topped by Libya" in light of the memorandum of understanding inked between Ankara and Lebanese Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj. Hafez said the call included pushing forward with efforts to reach a comprehensive resolution for the Libyan crisis, including Berlin's political process, contributing in restoring peace and stability in Libya. The deal could give Turkey access to a contested economic zone across the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, igniting more tensions between Turkey on one hand and Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece on the other. Hafez said Shourky discussed developments in Libya in phone calls with the German national security advisor and UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salamé. Shoukry discussed with the German national security advisor the latest preparations Berlin embarked on regarding Libya, and with Salamé, the Egyptian foreign minister discussed means to push with UN efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Libyan crisis. Egypt has repeatedly stressed the need for comprehensive efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis, saying that the recent agreements would hinder efforts to settle the crisis and negatively affect Berlin's political process, especially since the signing of those deals violates the powers of the Libyan prime minister under the Skhirat Agreement.
