By Jamie Prentis.
Tunis, 18 February 2017:
Algerian, Egyptian and Tunisian foreign ministers have advanced by nine days their planned talks on the Libyan crisis and meet in Tunis tomorrow.
The decision follows Tuesday’s failed mediation talks in Cairo between Khalifa Hafter and Presidency Council head Faiez Serraj.
Originally planned for 1 March, the meeting of the three ministers, Tunisia’s Khemaies Jihnaoui, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry and Algeria’s Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel is supposed to pave the way for a summit between their countries’ presidents.
The Tunisian foreign ministry said their objective was to help reconcile Libya’s various political factions in order to pave the way for a consensual political agreement.
Algeria’s foreign ministry commented: “Algeria has made huge efforts, at the request of the Libyan parties, to help in closing the gap between them and find solutions to the conflict.”
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi will later meet the ministers to be briefed on their talks.
