Cairo, Rabat stress need to coordinate on Libya file

By Mohamed al-Rayes

CAIRO (AA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday hailed his country’s relations with Morocco and stressed the importance of coordinating with Rabat, especially in terms of the crisis in Libya.

Shoukry made the remarks during a meeting with Habib al-Maliki, head of Morocco’s House of Representatives, held at Foreign Ministry headquarters in Cairo.

According to a ministry statement, the two men discussed political developments in the region, with both stressing the need to support development efforts in Africa.

The pair also called for stepped-up coordination between their two countries on issues of common concern, like the situation in next-door Libya and ongoing efforts to fight terrorism and illegal migration.

Libya has remained in disarray since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising ended with the ouster and death of President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a host of heavily-armed militia groups.

Al-Maliki, for his part, likewise called for enhancing Egypt-Morocco relations in all fields.

He also conveyed congratulations from Moroccan King Mohammed VI for Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi’s recent electoral victory.

Al-Sisi recently secured a second presidential term with a whopping 97.8 percent of the vote, according to Egypt’s official electoral commission.