Egypt, Algeria find common ground on Libyan crisis
Egypt and Algeria have been at odds over how to deal with the situation in Libya, but that may be changing.
Egypt and Algeria are planning to boost their coordination on the situation in neighboring Libya, where efforts to hold parliamentary and presidential elections later this year appear to have reached an impasse.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held talks Aug. 1 in Cairo with Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra to discuss a host of regional issues, including developments in war-battered Libya.
A presidential statement said the two sides saw eye to eye on enhancing Egyptian-Algerian coordination “to enforce the will of the Libyan people through backing Libyan institutions and supporting current efforts to achieve security and stability and maintain Libya’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said turmoil in Libya had a negative impact on both Egypt and Algeria. He added in a press conference with his Algerian counterpart that the two countries back efforts to hold Libyan elections on time in December to help restore stability to Libya and expel foreign forces and terrorist militias from the country.
