CAIRO: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, have stressed the need to intensify international efforts to normalize the situation in Libya and unify the state structure.
Ahmed Hafez, spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, said the two ministers discussed during a phone call the latest developments in the region, including the Palestinian peace process, and exchanged views on the situation in Libya.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Lavrov and Shoukry had a detailed discussion of some urgent issues to continue strengthening Russian-Egyptian cooperation in accordance with the Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation Agreement signed in 2018.
It said the two sides dealt with issues related to the settlement of conflicts and crises in the Middle East and North Africa, focusing on the evolving situation in Libya.
They expressed hope that the Libyan transitional leadership would be able to achieve the unification of the state structure and economic-financial institutions based on the principles of ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Libya.
Lavrov and Shoukry affirmed their determination to continue coordinating efforts in the interest of achieving peace in the Middle East in accordance with international legal norms, including UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
Lavrov began on Monday a tour of Gulf countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It will continue until Friday.
Lavrov is meeting Gulf leaders to exchange views on regional and global issues, in addition to strengthening trade and economic cooperation with Moscow and discussing oil market conditions.
