国际英语新闻:Egypt welcomes UN-brokered Libyan agreement on constitutional roadmap

CAIRO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egypt welcomed the recent UN-brokered agreement between Libyan rivals on a constitutional roadmap after their meeting in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada to pave the way for a constitutional referendum in preparation for later elections, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Egypt "appreciates the efforts which culminated in the agreement to hold a referendum on the draft constitution in preparation for holding the Libyan elections scheduled for Dec. 24, 2021," said the Egyptian statement.

The Libyan Constitutional Committee held its second meeting on Tuesday with the participation of two delegations from the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, each comprising 10 members, with the purpose of reaching an agreement on constitutional arrangements necessary for later elections.

"Egypt aspires to host the third and final round of the constitutional track next February, in presence of the Libyan High National Election Commission to set a roadmap for both the referendum and the elections," said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

During the Libyan talks in Hurghada, acting UN Libya envoy Stephanie Williams emphasized via a video call the need to agree on the constitutional arrangements needed to hold the elections as scheduled.

In June last year, Cairo announced an initiative to end the Libyan internal conflict, which included implementing a cease-fire between Libyan rivals, disbanding militias, pulling out foreign forces, electing a presidential council representing all Libyans and drafting a constitutional declaration to regulate elections for later stages.

Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli and another in the northeastern city of Tobruk allied with eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar.