Senior Egyptian security officials visited Libyan Tripoli on Sunday

The Libyan interior ministry stated that Senior Egyptian security officials visited on Sunday the Libyan capital Tripoli for the first time in years and held discussions with officials from the Government of National Accord (GNA).

In fact, this visit constitutes the first one for senior Egyptian officials to Tripoli since 2014 while the country began a civil war between the GNA, based in the capital, and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar.

Libya entered the chaos after the overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 with the support of NATO, and Egypt is worried about instability in its neighbor and Turkey’s backing for Tripoli forces.

The Libyan interior ministry-related in a statement that GNA Interior Minister, Fathi Bashagha, and Head of the Intelligence Service Emad Trabelsi discussed ways to support the ceasefire agreement and discuss the outputs of the 5+5 committee with the Egyptian delegation. It was indicating a truce agreed on in late October between Libyan fighting factions and the so-called 5+5 gatherings, involving five senior officers supported by each side.

Besides, Bashagha, who was in Cairo last month, stated on Twitter that the assembly was fruitful and constructive and called the ties with Cairo very important.

An Egyptian intelligence source informed Reuters that the Egyptian delegation comprises the intelligence service’s deputy head and top officials from the foreign and defense ministries.

The GNA foreign ministry spokesman, Mohamed Elgeblawi, said on Twitter that the delegation also met GNA Foreign Minister, Mohamed Taher Siala, and pledged to reopen the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli at the earliest time.

Otherwise, Egyptian state newspaper Ahram related that the visiting officials would investigate the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli, closed since 2014.

Elgeblawi also stated that the two parties also decided to take steps towards resuming Libyan flights to Cairo.