Saudi Arabia To Coordinate Strategy On Libyan Conflict With Algeria - Foreign Minster

DOHA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2020) Saudi Arabia will maintain coordination with Algeria with regards to the settlement of the Libyan crisis, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Tuesday following talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The Saudi foreign minister visited Algiers earlier in the day, as part of the succession of visits to North African countries, including Egypt on Monday, where he also vowed bilateral coordination in tackling the regional challenges.

"We have discussed the situation in the region and found a convergence of views between Saudi Arabia and Algeria, especially with regard to challenges facing the region, primarily the Libyan crisis. We share the opinion that the solution must be intra-Libyan so that the peace process can end the conflict and protects Libya from terrorism and foreign interference. It is very important to continue the coordination between Algeria and Saudi Arabia toward reaching a peaceful solution," Prince Faisal said following the meeting, as quoted by the Al-Hadath broadcaster.

According to the Saudi foreign minister, countries neighboring Libya have a key role to play in the peace process.

The almost decade-long Libyan conflict has escalated over the past few months around the power struggle between the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), in control of the country's west, and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) and the House of Representatives.

Since last April, the confrontation turned openly military as the LNA forces attempted an offensive on the GNA-held Libyan capital of Tripoli and prompted a massive counteroffensive.

An international conference on Libya was held in Berlin in January, where participating countries have agreed to an arms embargo as a measure of non-interference in the Libyan civil conflict. Yet, the warring parties have accused each other of collusion with foreign governments, including those which have agreed to the pact.

Turkey, in particular, has been providing extensive military support to the GNA since the latter formally requested assistance in late 2019. The Libyan House of Representatives, in the meantime, has requested deployment of troops from Egypt, whose parliament promptly greenlighted the potential intervention.