Putin Praises Sisi's Diplomatic Efforts Towards Libyan Settlement

On Monday, the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi held a telephone conversation with his Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which, they discussed the latest developments of the crisis in Libya, affirming their common determination to ensure the start of negotiations in Libya as soon as possible.

In a statement, the Kremlin said President Sisi briefed Putin on the outcomes of his talks with the Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh and the General Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar that aim to achieve political settlement to the crisis in the North African country.

On his part, Putin gave a positive assessment of the diplomatic efforts undertaken by Cairo to resolve the situation in Libya, according to the Kremlin’s press service.

The two presidents expressed their joint determination to continue coordination to ensure achieving a real ceasefire in Libya and resume negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible."

They also discussed enhancing strategic partnership between Russia and Egypt, including joint work in the fields of industry and nuclear energy as well as cooperation in combating the coronavirus pandemic.

Sisi and Cairo Initiative on Libya

Notably, President El-Sisi announced on Saturday an initiative for a political settlement in Libya following his talks in Cairo with the LNA Commander Haftar.

Cairo Declaration, the Egyptian initiative announced by Sisi, seeks ceasefire between warring Libyan parties starting from June 8, a UN-supervised election of a Libyan presidential council and drafting a constitutional declaration to regulate elections for the later stage, Sisi said in a joint press conference following his meeting with Haftar and Aguila Saleh.

The Cairo Declaration emphasizes the unity, integrity, and independence of the Libyan lands, respecting all international efforts, initiatives, and relevant Security Council resolutions, and accordingly, the commitment of all parties to the ceasefire from June 8, 2020.

The initiative is mainly based on the outcomes of the Berlin Summit, which resulted in a comprehensive political solution that includes clear implementation steps (political, security, and economic tracks) and the respect for human rights and international human rights law.