Egypt, Italy and Algeria's foreign ministers have stressed there is no room for military intervention in Libya and have called for the formation of a national unity government, which is in line with UN envoy Bernardino Leon's efforts, as soon as possible.
The three foreign ministers held a conference Sunday to discuss the terrorism threat to Libya.
In a related development, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shokry said the formation of a national unity government to support Libyan legitimacy would help find a political solution in Libya. This approach would result in eliminating the need for a military intervention, which would in turn protect the Libyan people.
"We support the role of the legitimate Libyan government and commend its role, and we value very much the results of the Libyan tribes' conference," Shokry added during his speech.
The phenomenon of terrorism will not be eliminated with the continued weakness of the Libyan government, he added.
Shokry called on the Libyan people not to wait, so as not to waste time or leave the area open to terrorism.
"We supported the Libyan army in deterring terrorism and the growing role of the IS in Libya during a Security Council resolution, which we warned against after the murder of Egyptians in Libya," Shokry said.
The sources of funding to militants in Libya should be addressed to prevent their arming, he added.
Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said this meeting comes at a crucial time, in light of the recent events in Libya due to the growing phenomenon of terrorism led by the IS.
He added that his country is dealing decisively with everything that happens in Libya, including human trafficking and illegal immigration in Libya.
Gentiloni stressed the importance of talks between Egypt, Algeria and Italy which support a unified government that represents all factions in Libya. He pointed out that the tripartite meeting backs the UN envoy's efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis through a political solution. Gentiloni called on Libyan parties to reach a satisfactory solution for everyone at this crucial time.
Abdelkader Messahel, the Algerian Foreign Minister, said three approaches are needed to resolve the Libyan crisis. The first relates to a political solution and the formation of a national government, the second relates to fighting terrorism and the third is to confront illegal immigration to Libya.
The international community must press further until it reaches a political solution and Algeria, as a neighboring country to Libya, considers the situation there a fundamental security issue. Messahel said they will stay committed to solving the crisis in Libya.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
