Egypt pledges support for Libya's new government

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed on Thursday his country's full support for Libya's new interim government after meeting with the head of the Libyan Presidency Council.

Mohamed Menfi visited Cairo on Thursday to hold talks with El-Sisi and several other officials in a bid to galvanize support for his government which is expected to lead the war-stricken nation through general elections by the end of 2021.

El-Sisi said he wanted to see all territories in Libya united again and called for the exit of foreign forces and mercenaries from the country.

"We are ready to fully support (Libya's new interim government) in order to achieve the goal of Libyan territory unity, the stable Libyan state, far from foreign intervention, far from the presence of fighters and mercenaries on Libyan soil," he said.

El-Sisi also expressed his willingness to visit Tripoli soon.

France, Italy and Germany have also given their backing of the interim government.

Foreign ministers from the three European nations arrived in Libya's capital on Thursday for discussions with their Libyan counterpart which included the reopening of their embassies and consular services on Libyan soil.

They too stressed foreign fighters and mercenaries should immediately leave the country in order to ensure the full implementation a ceasefire agreement inked in October.

Oil-rich Libya in recent years has been split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter launched a military offensive to wrestle the capital, Tripoli, from a U.N.-supported government.

Hifter's 14-month-long military campaign failed eventually after Turkey had thrown its full military backing behind his rivals forcing his troops to retreat eastwards