Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed on Sunday - to the UN Special Envoy for Libya Ján Kubiš - the necessity of removing foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, during a meeting in Cairo on developments related to the war-torn country. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that Shoukry received the UN envoy in Cairo to discuss developments on the Libyan crisis and the means to reach a political solution. He reviewed the efforts exerted by Egypt to achieve political reconciliation in the country, affirming the necessity of completing the current political path through holding a meeting by the House of Representatives to form the government, in order to hold planned elections before the end of the year. Shoukry stressed the necessity of a commitment by all parties to implement the ceasefire, as well as the importance of combating attempts aiming at impeding the unification of Libyan security institutions or the entrenchment of divisions in the country. Kubiš briefed Shoukry with the outcomes of his communication with parties involved in the crisis, presenting also his vision in initiating various tracks. He praised Egypt's stance while supporting a political solution in Libya, the statement added. Last month, Egypt welcomed the outcome of a UN-sponsored voting that led to the selection of a Libyan interim government with the hope of ending a decade-long civil war - in the North African country - through planned national elections slated on 24 December. Cairo said it was looking forward to working with the interim government in the upcoming period and until the transfer of power to an elected government can take place. In February, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received newly designated Libyan Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbeiba in Cairo. Dbeiba, who visited Cairo in his first official foreign visit since assuming office, expressed his country's appreciation for the recent Egyptian efforts in resolving the crisis, saying that the efforts have resulted in converging the different Libyan points of view. Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya for years, calling for a ceasefire, a complete disarming of militias, an end to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth between various regions in the country. In June, Egypt proposed a peace initiative dubbed the Cairo Declaration, which was based on the conclusion of an earlier Berlin conference. The Cairo Declaration proposed a ceasefire as well as the election of a new leadership council.
