Egypt Reopens Tripoli Embassy as It Pursues New Energy Links with Libya

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was in Tripoli on Saturday for the reopening of Egypt’s embassy, a diplomatic mission that had been closed since 2012.

The return of the embassy comes as Cairo seeks to improve relations with Tripoli and expand cooperation with Libya’s energy sector. The proposed initiatives include a gas pipeline, oil refining and the restoration of electricity links between the two countries.

Focus on proposed energy projects

Speaking at the embassy’s opening ceremony, Abdelatty said Egypt wanted to move from discussion to technical preparations for the projects.

“All we want now is to begin, on the technical level, the implementation phase,” he said.

Among the projects highlighted by the minister was a proposed pipeline connecting Libya and Egypt. Abdelatty also called for faster progress on a plan to refine Libyan oil in Egypt before re-exporting it, as well as efforts to restore Libya’s refineries and re-establish electricity connections between the two countries.

Abdelatty described the proposed gas link as a promising project and said Egypt was the only country in the eastern and southern Mediterranean with facilities for liquefying natural gas.

The source information describes the initiatives as proposed or promising projects; it does not indicate that construction or implementation has begun.

Diplomatic shift

Egypt’s embassy was closed after instability spread across Libya following the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi. Libya remains divided between two governments competing for power.

Cairo had previously supported the administration of Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya. The source report says Egypt is now working to mend relations with Tripoli.

The change followed Egypt’s ratification of a disputed maritime agreement with Turkey. Egypt says the agreement infringes on its maritime zone. The details of the agreement were not provided.

The embassy reopening gives Egypt a renewed diplomatic presence in Tripoli as it seeks to develop closer political and economic ties with Libya. The proposed energy cooperation is part of that broader effort.