Libya slams Egypt's 'diplomatic adolescence'

TRIPOLI (AA) – The Libyan Foreign Ministry on Tuesday decried recent Egyptian statements on the country's presidential council as "diplomatic adolescence".

Tension has mounted recently between Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and Cairo after President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said the GNA was "held hostage by militias."

Immediately, the GNA-affiliated Presidential Council decried al-Sisi's remarks, calling on Cairo to reconsider its position on the Libyan crisis.

The council said it "understands the Egyptian state's right to attain its national security, yet, it does not accept any threat to Libya’s national sovereignty".

It went on to call on Egypt to review their position on the Libyan crisis and support stability and civil peace in Libya, instead of supporting forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya.

In response, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez tweeted Tuesday: "Who is the Libyan Presidential Council, which issued a statement today regarding Egypt?"

"What we know is that this council consists of nine people ... where are they now?" the spokesman said.

The Libyan Foreign Ministry, in response to the tweet, said Tuesday: "What announced by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman has nothing to do with diplomatic work and his talk about the presidential council is a kind of diplomatic adolescence."

Libya has remained beset by turmoil since 2011 when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of long-serving President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.