Large Arab boycott of Libya conference as Italy's FM visits Egypt

On the sidelines of a heavily boycotted Arab League consultative meeting, Egyptian officials met Italy's foreign minister to discuss illegal immigration from Libya, among other issues.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry give a joint press conference, Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 22, 2023.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry give a joint press conference, Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 22, 2023. - Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
Marita Kassis headshot
Marita Kassis
@MaritaKassis

17 out of 22 member states of the Arab League abstained from sending their foreign minister to a consultative meeting on Libya on Sunday, marking regional ambivalence over the Abdel Hamid Dbeibah’s government.

Only five Arab countries attended the meeting including the foreign ministers of neighboring Algeria and Tunisia. Egypt boycotted so did Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, local media reported.

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