Egypt: Foreign Relations

(asked on 29th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Prime Minister last spoke to the current President of Egypt; and what discussions they have had about military tensions with Libya and the reported remarks made by President al-Sisi on 22 June to the Egyptian military that it should be ready to carry out missions in Libya.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 13th July 2020

We are in regular contact with Egypt on the need for all sides in Libya to engage in the UN led political process. The Foreign Secretary raised this with his Egyptian counterpart, most recently on 8 June. Since President Sisi's announcement, we have spoken to senior Egyptian officials to reiterate the need for a political solution and that any intervention would exacerbate the conflict.

We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and the risks to wider regional stability. The UK is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. We continue to call on all Libyan parties, and their external backers, to de-escalate, commit to a lasting ceasefire and return to UN-led political talks. We welcome the recent resumption by the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army of talks on the framework for a ceasefire. It is essential that both sides engage constructively with this process.

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