Mohammed Abu Zaid

CAIRO: Libyan national elections must be held on their scheduled date of Dec. 24, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has told the head of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed El-Manfi.

El-Sisi said in a call to El-Manfi that holding the polls on schedule would be a landmark step for Libya’s transition to a new and sustainable political system based on the will of the people, according to his spokesman Bassam Rady.

The president affirmed Egypt’s full support for a political path to settle the Libyan crisis in all bilateral, regional and international forums, and its keenness to strengthen close coordination with the Libyan side during the current period to ensure the unification of Libyan institutions.

El-Manfi expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts and support for Libya since the outbreak of the crisis, and he affirmed the extended and fraternal relations linking the two brotherly countries and peoples.

He highlighted and praised the Egyptian efforts that had contributed to restoring national institutions, unifying the Libyan National Army, and transferring the country’s development experience to Libya.

Rady added that, during the call, El-Sisi also affirmed Egypt’s full support for efforts to withdraw foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, which came within the framework of its position on ending all forms of foreign interference in Libya.