Egyptian intelligence chief meets Saddam Haftar in Cairo for talks on Libya crisis

Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Hassan Rashad met in Cairo with Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the Libyan army, to discuss ways to advance the political process in Libya and unify authority ahead of planned elections. The talks also covered strengthening security and economic cooperation between the two countries and activating joint strategic projects.

The meeting addressed establishing a working mechanism to implement joint strategic projects and discussed issues of mutual interest to enhance Egyptian-Libyan cooperation and support shared interests across various fields.

The two sides also reviewed the latest political developments in Libya and discussed ways to accelerate the political process based on a vision to unify state institutions, end divisions, and move toward elections, contributing to stability and preserving Libya's unity and territorial integrity.

The meeting is part of Cairo's ongoing efforts to engage with all Libyan parties involved in the political process and support initiatives aimed at unifying state institutions and strengthening stability.

The talks come amid tensions following the Libyan House of Representatives' approval on October 20 of the 2019 maritime memorandum of understanding with Turkey, and the repeal of previous decisions rejecting the deal and cutting political ties with Ankara.

Egypt announced the next day its rejection of the Libyan parliament's ratification of the memorandum, stating it infringes on Egypt's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and that it carries no legal effect for Cairo.