The next meeting of the Russian-Egyptian intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation is scheduled for 2021 in Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday following talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.
"We assign an important role to the joint commission on trade, economic and scientific-technical cooperation. The next meeting of this commission should be held this year in Russia," he said.
"In preparation for the commission meeting, we reviewed the implementation of major joint projects. First of all, to build a nuclear power plant and establish a Russian industrial zone in Egypt. We emphasized the importance of a number of projects already underway in areas such as transport infrastructure, including the participation of our companies in modernizing certain sections of Egypt's railway network," he added.
Stabilization of military and political situation in Libya
The Russian Foreign Minister also said that Russia and Egypt noted progress in resolving the military and political situation in Libya, which is necessary to restore unity in the country.
"We noted with satisfaction some stabilization of the military-political situation, which creates favorable conditions for restoring the country's unity. We are in favor of the implementation of all those decisions that were taken by the Libyans themselves in Geneva and then in Libya, on the organization of the transition process and preparations for the referendum on the constitution and for the election of new authorities," he said.
"We consider it important to implement everything we agreed to at the meetings of the five plus five military committee," the Minister added.
Libya has long had two parallel executive authorities, the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli and the Libyan National Army-backed Khalifa Haftar and parliament-backed interim government in the east of the country. Armed formations of the warring parties fought protracted battles, and in the spring of 2019, Haftar, whose headquarters is in Benghazi, launched an offensive against the capital. The GNA responded by mobilizing its supporters, including the most combat-ready Misrata brigades, and also sought support from Turkey.
In early February of this year, following negotiations that began last year, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum elected Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, prime minister of Libya's unified government, and three members of the presidential council in Switzerland. Both were sworn in on 15 March and have already assumed their duties in Tripoli. Their main task will be to unify the fragmented power structures across the country and to prepare and conduct the Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS