RAS GARGOUB, EGYPT - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi inaugurated a large naval base on Saturday 135 km from the border with Libya, flanked by close ally Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Libya's unity president. The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet over the issue this week after talks repeatedly stalled. Egypt appreciates Ethiopia's development needs but negotiations should not "continue indefinitely" Sissi said, according to a statement from the presidency. The eastern border became a key security concern for Egypt after Libya slid into turmoil after 2011, though it has beefed up its presence in the area. Egypt has also experienced tensions with Turkey — which backed Haftar's rivals in Libya — over maritime rights in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean.

Source: Ethiopian News July 04, 2021 11:37 UTC