More than a decade after it was closed due to political division and the deteriorating security situation, Egypt announced the opening of its embassy in Tripoli, Libya. In the context of this step, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati met with Acting Libyan Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdel Sadiq in Tripoli to discuss bilateral relations and joint energy projects.

Published on: 08/11/2026 - 12:33

Egypt announced on Saturday the reopening of its embassy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after its closure in 2014 due to the political division and related violence.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati opened the embassy headquarters, following his arrival in Tripoli earlier today, where he also participated in a session of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.

Abdel Ati stated in a press conference that the reopening of the embassy headquarters “reflects the depth of the relationship and the historical and geographical connection that brings together the two brotherly peoples.”

Two governments are currently competing for power, one in Tripoli, recognized by the United Nations and led by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, and a rival government in the east supported by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Egypt has supported Haftar since his emergence in eastern Libya, but it has also converged with the government in Tripoli in recent years.

The reopening of the embassy comes weeks after the Libyan Parliament in Benghazi, in the east of the country, approved an agreement to demarcate the maritime borders with Turkey, which angered Cairo, which considered that the agreement violated its maritime zone.

Accelerating the implementation of energy projects

This step coincides with the visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati, who announced late Saturday that his country seeks to accelerate the implementation of energy projects with Libya, including gas pipelines, refining Libyan oil in Egypt, and connecting electricity networks.

Abdel Ati's statements come in a statement issued by the ministry following a meeting with Acting Libyan Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdel Sadiq in Tripoli, at a time when Egypt is facing an energy crisis that has been exacerbated by insufficient domestic gas production and the rise in global liquefied natural gas prices since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The statement included that Abdel-Ati called for cooperation in the field of petroleum products and the completion of Libyan oil refining projects in Egypt and re-exporting it.

He added that Abdel Sadiq indicated Libya's intention to continue implementing existing projects and that he would visit Cairo soon to continue technical talks with the Egyptian Ministers of Petroleum and Electricity.

The statement did not provide details about costs or the current status of the projects.

France 24/AFP/Reuters

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