Egypt and US agree to step up work on Libya

Egypt’s president and visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan agreed at talks in Cairo on Wednesday to intensify international efforts over upcoming elections in Libya, a statement from the Egyptian presidency statement has confirmed.

According to a report by Reuters, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Sullivan also discussed reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), bilateral relations and the situations in Tunisia, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. The statement made no mention of human rights, which the White House said on Tuesday would also be on the agenda during Sullivan’s visit.

The US official arrived in Cairo after trips to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He was accompanied by Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.

On Libya, the two sides agreed to reinforce coordination on the withdrawal of foreign forces and the unification of Libyan military institutions. Sisi stressed the importance of sticking to a plan to hold elections in December. The planned poll is part of a UN-led effort to reunify Libya after years of conflict and division, but it faces deep challenges.

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