Head of Libya’s High Council of State invited to meet rival in Egypt

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) – Head of the Tripoli-based High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri said Thursday he was invited to meet Libya’s Parliament Speaker Aquila Saleh for talks in Egypt.

In a statement, al-Mishri said he was invited by UN special adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, to review the conflicting points in the country's political and constitutional path.

The High Council of State, which acts as a senate, is a rival to east Libya-based House of Representative (parliament).

“What is important is to find the other partner serious about reaching national consensus to end the transitional period in Libya,” al-Mishri said.

The third and last UN-sponsored talks kicked off in Cairo on Sunday in an effort to reach consensus on the constitutional framework to hold Libya’s long-awaited elections.

Libyans are still waiting for the stalled polls to take place in the hope that the vote will contribute to ending years of armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar