Al-Menfi Emphasizes 'Libyan Reconciliation', Kubis Calls for Ending 'Divisions'

 Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)
Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)
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Al-Menfi Emphasizes 'Libyan Reconciliation', Kubis Calls for Ending 'Divisions'

 Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)
Mohammad Al-Menfi after performing the Eid prayer in Tobruk on Tuesday. (Photo: Presidential Council)

Mohammad Al-Menfi, Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, who performed the Eid al-Adha prayer on Tuesday in the city of Tobruk, stressed the importance of adhering to the values of tolerance and sacrifice, pointing out in a statement to the Council’s efforts to achieve national reconciliation as an ideal option to restore stability and reunite the people of the country.

In turn, Moussa al-Koni, a member of the Presidential Council, said in a brief tweet that holding the elections on Dec. 24, “will be a victory for the nation.”

In this context, the High Electoral Commission pledged to achieve the aspirations of the Libyans in the elections, and called for a massive participation, which “will lead to the building of a secure and stable homeland.”

In a statement, the commission pointed to the ongoing registration process, noting that more than 2.5 million voters have been registered so far.

For his part, Jan Kubis, Head of the United Nations Mission in Libya, congratulated the citizens on the occasion of Eid al-Adha and urged all Libyan leaders and institutions to carry the message of peace, compassion and reconciliation in order to end the continuing divisions in the country.

“On behalf of the entire United Nations family in Libya, I wish all of you and your loved ones and families a peaceful and joyous holiday full of hope for a better future. As we commemorate this occasion, I urge all Libyan leaders and institutions to remember the message of peace, compassion, and reconciliation that this occasion symbolizes to put an end to the continued divisions in the country and to the hardship the Libyan people continue to endure,” The Special Envoy said.

He added: “On this occasion, I call on all key Libyan decision-makers and institutions to safeguard what has been achieved since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in October 2020 and work together in a spirit of unity and patriotism, shoulder and share the responsibility to put the welfare and the interests of the Libyan people above narrow interests. May the goodwill of this holy occasion inspire you all to intensify your efforts to continue with the path of peace through enabling the holding of national elections on 24 Dec. 2021.”



Egypt, Iran to Hold Regular Political Consultations to Develop Relations

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian presidency)
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Egypt, Iran to Hold Regular Political Consultations to Develop Relations

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian presidency)

Egypt and Iran agreed on Monday to continue discussions to develop their relations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Cairo for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.

During a press conference with Araghchi, Abdelatty announced the launch of political consultations between Egypt and Iran to discuss bilateral ties.

An Egyptian presidency statement said Sisi and Araghchi stressed the importance of continuing efforts to “explore prospects of developing ties between their countries.”

Abdelatty confirmed that there was a mutual desire to develop relations.

For his part, Araghchi said this was his fourth time meeting Sisi and that he had met the foreign minister of Egypt over ten times, reflecting Iran’s keenness on developing ties.

“There is a desire to expand relations, political consultations and cooperation on the political and economic levels and all others,” he added.

“We have a desire to overcome obstacles that have been impeding these ties. The opportunity is available now more than ever,” he stated.

“Trust between Cairo and Tehran has never been this high,” he noted.

Egypt and Iran had severed diplomatic relations in 1979 before restoring them to the level of charge d’affaires eleven years later. Egyptian and Iranian officials have met several times over the past two years to tackle the possibility of developing relations.

The Iranian presidency in May 2023 ordered that the necessary measures be taken to boost ties with Egypt. Sisi and late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met in Riyadh in November 2023.

Huda Raouf, head of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Araghchi’s visit to Cairo sought to explore just how much rapprochement can be achieved with Egypt.

Iran has been trying to improve relations in recent years, while Egypt has been reluctant, she noted.

The FM’s visit is a notable development, which may lead to greater rapprochement in the future, especially when it comes to tourism, trade and cooperation in regional files, starting with the war on Gaza and Red Sea security, she remarked.

Sisi and Araghchi also discussed the “rapid developments in the region.”

Sisi expressed Cairo’s rejection of the “expansion of the conflict,” urging a de-escalation “to avert a regional war that will have dangerous repercussions on the security of all regional countries and their people.”

He therefore underscored the “importance of the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States” over Tehran’s nuclear program, said an Egyptian presidency spokesman.

Sisi stressed the need for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid.”

Talks between Araghchi and Abdelatty also tackled Gaza, as well as the developments in Syria and Lebanon and Red Sea security.

Abdelatty stressed the need to “protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the importance of restoring calm in the region.”