Egyptian foreign minister, UN envoy discuss Libya political process, elections

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and UN envoy to Libya Hanna Tetteh discussed Wednesday the latest political and security developments in Libya and efforts to advance the political process and hold elections.

Abdelatty received Tetteh in Cairo to discuss developments in Libya and efforts to advance the political process within the framework of the UN roadmap, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Abdelatty expressed Egypt's support for UN efforts to reach a "comprehensive Libyan-Libyan political settlement," stressing that the political process should remain "Libyan-owned and led."

He emphasized the importance of pushing for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held simultaneously, ending transitional periods and unifying Libya's state institutions.

The Egyptian minister also stressed the need to respect Libya's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Egypt is one of the parties to the Tripartite Mechanism of Libya's Neighboring States, which also includes Tunisia and Algeria.

The Tripartite Consultation Mechanism on Libya was launched in 2017 and suspended in 2019 before resuming in May 2025, when the foreign ministers of the three countries held a consultative meeting in Cairo. The mechanism aims to contribute to resolving the political crisis in neighboring Libya.

For her part, Tetteh briefed Abdelatty on developments in implementing the roadmap in Libya, according to the statement.

She also reviewed ongoing steps to address outstanding issues related to the constitutional and legal framework governing elections, it added.

Libya has faced political division between two rival governments since 2022: the internationally recognized administration of Prime Minister Abd al-Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli and a parallel government led by Osama Hammad based in Benghazi and supported by the eastern-based parliament.

UN-led efforts to hold national elections remain stalled, prolonging the oil-rich country's decade-long conflict and instability.