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Sharm El Sheikh, 11 May:
Foreign Minister Ashour Bin Khayal has told Egypt that the Libyan economy cannot cope with the number . . .[restrict]of Egyptians wanting to work in the country.
Speaking in Sharm El Sheikh at a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement of states, Bin Khayal insisted that Egyptian workers will have a major role in Libya once the economy has stabilised, but that this point has not been arrived at yet.
“We want things to be more organised when it comes to Egyptian workers for the benefit of the two countries, and it would be difficult to preserve the rights and safety of the Egyptian workforce if they are not officially registered and organised”, he added.
Bin Khayal also apologised for the illegal trade of Egyptians by some Libyans, saying that the government is working to tackle the problem.
The minister was keen to emphasise how much Libya appreciated good relations with Egypt, saying that the country’s participation in the meeting in Sharm El Sheikh was itself a sign of that.
Bin Khayal added that he had taken the opportunity to meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Mohammed Amr, where the two men had discussed other issues of mutual national interest.
Regarding recent allegations of illegal weapon smuggling from Libya to Egypt, Bin Khayal said that he had no evidence to support the claims, but insisted that any illegal smuggling of weapons, drugs or other goods across the Libyan border should be prevented.
Bin Khayal concluded by announcing a meeting to be held next month between Libya, Egypt and Tunisia to discuss the respective revolutions of the three countries, and their impact upon the Arab world.
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