Egypt military leader arrives in Libya
Military leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi visits Libya for the first time since his military took over Egypt.
Egypt’s top military leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi arrived in Libya on Monday, the Associated Press reported.
Tantawi is on his first visit to the country since his military council took over Egypt after President Hosni Mubarak left the country last February. The same month of Egypt’s uprisings marked the beginning of Libya’s revolt, which ended when Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed in October.
"We asked (Tantawi) to help us with those from the former regime who have taken refuge in Egypt and who continue to threaten the stability of Libya," said Libyan prime minister Abdurrahim el-Keib, the AP reported. He didn’t tell the AP any specific names.
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This was also Tantawi’s first major visit outside of Egypt after assuming power of the country. The visit to meet with Libya’s Transitional National Council highlights the important relationship between the two countries, neighbors both in transition, the Washington Post reported. The countries also share concerns over the proliferation of weapons across the border from Libya to Egypt.
“Such a big visit is more than overdue,” an Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry official said, the Washington Post reported. “We cannot have stability on our borders without cooperation.”
Tantawi arrived in Tripoli a day after a large delegation of Egyptian ministers got there in order “to support and promote bilateral co-operation, especially on infrastructure projects and reconstruction in Libya,” the Financial Times reported. The delegation team included ministers of foreign affairs, oil, communications, manpower, education, electricity and housing.
According to an Egyptian news agency, Mena, the talks between Libya and Egypt would “address the implementation of energy projects and co-ordination to return Libyan investments in Egypt’s petroleum, communications and information technology sectors,” the FT reported.
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