Algiers: The foreign ministers of Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria are set to convene in Algiers on Thursday as part of a tripartite consultation mechanism addressing the situation in Libya. Tunisia's Foreign Ministry announced that Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti will join his Egyptian and Algerian counterparts, Badr Abdelatty and Ahmed Attaf, respectively, for the discussions in the Algerian capital.
According to Anadolu Agency, the meeting aims to assess the latest developments in Libya and to deliberate on collective efforts by the three neighboring countries, in coordination with the UN Support Mission in Libya, to promote and support an intra-Libyan dialogue. The agenda for the talks includes exploring methods to establish conditions conducive to a comprehensive political settlement that upholds Libya's sovereignty and national unity while enhancing its security, stability, and developmental trajectory under UN oversight.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry reported that Badr Abdelatty arrived in Algiers on Wednesday and engaged in discussions with senior Algerian officials concerning bilateral relations and regional matters of shared interest. Abdelatty is also expected to participate in the tripartite meeting on Libya, which will feature UN Special Envoy to Libya Hanna Tetteh.
The tripartite mechanism was initially launched in 2017 but was paused in 2019, resuming in May when the foreign ministers reconvened in Cairo. At that meeting, they collectively urged all Libyan factions to exercise maximum restraint and cease escalation immediately to safeguard civilians, as stated in a joint communiqu©.
Libya remains divided between two governments: one appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, based in Benghazi and led by Osama Hammad, which governs the east and much of the south; and the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah in Tripoli, which controls the west. Libyans are hopeful that long-postponed elections will resolve years of political fragmentation and conflict that have persisted since the 2011 overthrow of ruler Muammar Gaddafi.