By Mohamed al-Hashmi
CAIRO
Libya's political crisis must be solved without delay or it will have serious ramifications for the rest of the region, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Thursday.
At a meeting with visiting Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, al-Sisi stressed the importance of stepping up Egypt-Algeria coordination, especially in regards to Libya, according to presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef.
In a statement, Youssef said that al-Sisi had discussed several issues with the Algerian premier, including bilateral cooperation in the energy field, means of increasing trade between Egypt and Algeria, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Al-Sisi, Youssef added, had also highlighted the importance of finding a speedy solution to the Libyan crisis.
"Delays [in resolving the crisis] will have serious ramifications," Youssef quoted the Egyptian president as saying.
Egypt had earlier proposed an initiative for solving the Libyan crisis during consultations between Libya's neighbors.
The initiative had called for supporting Libya's central government and disarming the country's many militias.
Libya has been dogged by political instability since the 2011 ouster and death of long-ruling strongman Muammar Gaddafi.
Ever since, rival militias have frequently locked horns, often bringing violence to Libya's main cities, especially Tripoli and Benghazi.
The central government, meanwhile, has appeared largely absent from the scene.
The sharp political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government, each of which has its own institutions.
Two assemblies currently vie for legislative authority: a newly-elected House of Representatives, which convenes in Tobruk; and the General National Congress, which – even though its mandate ended in August – continues to convene in Tripoli.
The two parliaments support two rival governments respectively headquartered in the two cities.
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