CAIRO, May 31 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty said Saturday the tripartite meeting with his counterparts from Tunisia and Algeria reached a consensus on the top priority of holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya as the “cornerstone” for ensuring security and stability in the country.

This came in response to a question from the Middle East News Agency during the joint press conference held Saturday with Gambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamadou Tangara.

The developments in Libya affect the security and stability of the three countries. There is a common interest in strengthening cooperation and consultation between them regarding the situation there, especially since the situation in Libya is ‘fragile,’ with a state of instability in the capital, Tripoli, and in the west, the top diplomat said

We hope, through coordination and consultation with our brothers in Algeria and Tunisia, to activate Libyan ownership of the political solution, because there is no military solution. There was consensus and agreement that the root of the problem is the presence of mercenaries, armed militias, and harmful foreign interference in Libya, and thus there is a need for foreign forces to leave, militias to be dismantled and disarmed, and for political progress to be supported within Libya, preserving the unity of the Libyan state and unifying its institutions, he added.

The minister praised the strong relations between Egypt and Gambia, noting that they are set to develop further in the near future, particularly in terms of trade exchange.

He also expressed Egypt's appreciation for Gambia, especially in light of its current presidency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He highlighted Gambia's well-recognized role in supporting Palestinian rights and the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state. (MENA)

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