Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia revive Libya talks amid western fragility

Daily News Egypt

31-05-2025

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia met in Cairo on Saturday to reactivate a trilateral mechanism focused on Libya, amidst concerns over the evolving situation and fragility in the west of the country.
Badr Abdelatty, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration, hosted the meeting. He was joined by Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, and Mohamed Ali Nafti, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tunisian Republic. The discussions centred on developments in Libya, joint coordination on the unfolding situation, and a shared desire to exchange views and assessments to support Libya at this critical time.
The trilateral mechanism involving Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia was initially launched in 2017 and became inactive in 2019. The Cairo meeting signalled the reactivation of this joint initiative, stemming from the three nations' commitment to supporting security and stability in Libya.
Minister Abdelatty emphasised the 'special relationship that binds Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia with the sisterly state of Libya and the depth of historical ties, human connections, and intertwined interests between the three countries and Libya.' He pointed to the 'priority that the Libyan file represents for the national security of Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia as direct neighbouring countries to Libya,' stressing the 'necessity of providing support for efforts aimed at launching a political process to settle the crisis in Libya.'
The Egyptian Foreign Minister outlined the parameters of Egypt's position on the developments in Libya, which supports a 'Libyan-Libyan solution path without dictations or external interference or bypassing the role of Libyan national institutions, leading to the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously.' He underscored the 'importance of respecting the unity and territorial integrity of Libya and keeping it away from external interference, supporting the efforts of the United Nations in communicating with all spectrums of the Libyan people, and the need to concert international efforts to enforce relevant UN resolutions regarding the withdrawal of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and foreign fighters from Libya, in a way that contributes to restoring security and stability.'
Regarding recent developments in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, the three ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining security and stability throughout all Libyan territories, safeguarding the state's resources and national institutions, and respecting the unity and integrity of Libya. They called for preserving peace, renouncing violence, and upholding the Libyan national interest above all considerations. They affirmed their commitment to continue working with regional and international partners to provide assistance and all forms of support to Libya and to work towards ensuring the security and safety of its people.
In a final communique, the ministers stated that their meeting in Cairo on 31 May 2025, held within the framework of historical and fraternal ties and a shared destiny with Libya, and stemming from the sincere determination of their respective leaderships, served to resume the trilateral neighbouring countries' mechanism to discuss the latest developments and push towards the desired political solution in Libya.
In light of the serious developments and evolving security situation in Tripoli, the communique detailed that the ministers renewed their call to all Libyan parties to exercise utmost restraint and immediately halt any escalation to ensure the safety of the Libyan people. The ministers stressed the importance of upholding the interests of the Libyan people, preserving their resources and properties, and achieving consensus among all Libyan parties, under the supervision and support of the United Nations and with the assistance of neighbouring countries. This, they stated, should lead to endingthe division and moving forward with the political process towards unifying institutions and holding parliamentary and presidential elections simultaneously.
The communique further emphasised the necessity of expediting a solution to the Libyan crisis and ending political division to avoid further escalation, the spread of violence and terrorism, and the widening of the conflict, affirming that Libya's security is integral to the security of its neighbours. The ministers reiterated the need for full Libyan ownership of the political process, stating that the solution must be Libyan-Libyan, emanating from the will and consensus of all components of the Libyan people, with UN support and assistance, and in a manner that considers the interests of all Libyans without exclusion.
The ministers, through the communique, affirmed their rejection of all forms of external interference in Libya, which they said would fuel internal tension and prolong the crisis, thereby threatening security and stability in Libya and neighbouring countries. They also stressed the need to continue supporting the efforts of the Joint Military Committee (5+5) to consolidate the existing ceasefire, ensure the withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries within a specified timeframe, and reunify military and security institutions, in full harmony with ongoing efforts within UN, African, Arab, and Mediterranean frameworks.
Finally, the ministers agreed to continue coordination among the three countries and the United Nations to assess the situation in Libya and exchange views on the future of the Libyan political scene and how to cooperate to achieve security, stability, and development in the region. The foreign ministers of Tunisia and Algeria expressed their sincere thanks to Egypt for hosting the meeting at this critical time and for the warm reception and generous hospitality. The communique concluded by stressing the need to hold periodic meetings of the trilateral neighbouring countries' mechanism, with the next ministerial meeting planned to be held in Algeria, followed by another in Tunisia, before the end of the current year.