The Egyptian, Tunisian, and Algerian ministers of foreign affairs reaffirmed their rejection of any foreign interventions in Libyan internal affairs, as well as all forms of escalation or hindrance to the political process in the country, read a statement issued by the three parties following their meeting on Sunday. The ministers also expressed support for the political agreement between rival Libyan factions as a framework for a political settlement in the country. During the meeting, which was held in the Tunisian Foreign Ministry to discuss updates of the situation and ways of reaching a political settlement in Libya, the three ministers reviewed their countries' views to find a political settlement between all Libyans under the supervision of the United Nations (UN). Also, the three ministers expressed their confidence in the efforts of UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salama. They expressed support for Salama's efforts to accelerate reaching a political solution to the Libyan crisis, as well as welcoming the Security Council's statement on 14 December regarding the crisis. The statement stressed the central role of the UN and its political and legal responsibility as the sponsor of the Libyan political dialogue, calling upon all Libyan parties to prioritise national interests and to enter a dialogue in order to end the transitional period as soon as possible. The three ministers praised Libyan efforts for tackling the crisis of illegal immigrants. They also agreed to continue coordination in evaluating the threat of terror groups on Libya's security and stability, and to monitor the movement of terrorists from other international hotspots in the region. Another meeting between the three ministers will be held in Algeria, read the statement. The date of the meeting is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, who rules the eastern part of the country, announced in a televised speech on Sunday that the Skhirat Agreement, which was signed between Libyan rivals on 17 December 2015 in Morocco, has expired and that the UN-backed government's mandate has expired as well.
