Egypt voices support for Haftar following Paris talks

Egypt has praised the result of talks between Fayez Al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar held this week in Paris, stating that the proposed plan of action is the right way for Libya to move forward.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held discussions today with Haftar separately in Paris where he told him he supported the result of the talks in which both parties agreed on a ceasefire and for presidential elections to be held in spring next year.

Shoukry said the results contained all the right ideas for Egypt to support Libya as it transitions towards addressing economic and social problems as well as fighting terrorism and restoring stability in the war-torn country.

According to Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid, Shoukry insisted that Libya remained one of his priorities but that the country still needed to strengthen its state institutions, particularly the army. The rival governments on either side of the country have their own army posts based on individual loyalties.

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Shoukry added that Haftar thanked Egypt for its work in encouraging dialogue and in finding a political solution and not a military one.

Egypt has backed Haftar but has maintained that any solution to the Libyan crisis must be based on dialogue and that of the Libyan Political Agreement signed in 2015.

In their talks today both Haftar and Shoukry condemned Qatar and its alleged “funding of terrorism”.