US Welcomes Egypt's Efforts to End Crisis in Libya

On Saturday, the United States welcomed Egypt’s new initiative for Libya and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s call for a cease-fire in the country.

In a statement, the US said, "We welcome efforts by Egypt and others to support a return to the UN-led political negotiations and the declaration of a ceasefire, calling on all Libyan sides to participate in good faith to halt the fighting and return to the UN-led political negotiations."

On his part, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian on Saturday praised Egypt's efforts over the Libyan file, welcoming the outcomes achieved today that aim at achieving an immediate ceasefire and completing the work of the 5+5 Military Commission Talks in Geneva.

Notably, President El-Sisi announced on Saturday an initiative for a political settlement in Libya following his talks in Cairo with the Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa 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.

This came in a joint press conference following El-Sisi's meeting with Haftar and the Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh.

Arab Countries Voice Support to Egypt's Initiative for Ceasefire in Libya

A number of Arab countries, including, the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, have welcomed Egypt's initiative to solve the Libyan crisis.

The Egyptian president announced on Saturday an initiative for a political settlement in Libya following his talks in Cairo with Haftar.

The UAE

The United Arab Emirates issued a statement announcing its support to the Egyptian efforts to revive the political path and declare a ceasefire.

“The U.A.E calls on the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) to respond quickly to the Egyptian initiative to stop the bloodshed and to build the state institutions,”  read the U.A.E. Foreign Ministry statement.

The statement explained that the political track is the only acceptable option to reach the desired stability and prosperity, calling on the Libyan brothers to prevail over the common national interest.

Jordan

Jordan also welcomed “The Cairo Declaration” and described it as “A significant breakthrough.”

The Egyptian initiative calls for a ceasefire starting from next Monday, stresses on outcomes of the Berlin Conference and demands reviving the political path for the crisis.

Bahrain

Bahraini Foreign Ministry hailed El Sisi’s efforts aiming to achieve the Libyan people’s aspirations, in addition to security and stability.

“All Libyan parties have to respond to the Cairo initiative for the sake of the integrity and unity of the state territory,” the Bahraini Foreign Ministry statement stressed.

Saudi Arabia

In the same regard, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the Egyptian initiative, stressing its full support to the international efforts to stop conflicts in Libya upon resolutions and decisions adopted by Berlin and Geneva Conferences.

“Saudi urged the GNA and LNA to engage into comprehensive political negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,” the Kingdom’s statement read.

Sisi and the Libyan leaders agreed on the complete rejection of the practices of some parties on the scene, as well as the military escalation that would further exacerbate the situation.

In the meantime, Saleh and Haftar welcomed Cairo’s national talks, and lauded the pivotal and important Egyptian role led by El Sisi in stabilizing peace and achieving stability in Libya and preserving the capabilities of the people.

They also hailed Egypt’s support for the efforts of institutions in combating terrorism and extremist groups, in an effort to create conditions for a political solution to the crisis, to meet the aspirations of the people towards a safe and dignified life.

At the end of the meeting, Saleh and Haftar launched the Cairo Declaration, including a Libyan-Libyan initiative as a basis for resolving the crisis, within the framework of United Nations resolutions and successive international efforts leading to the outcomes of the Berlin Conference.