Egypt to help Libya to prepare for Dec polls: President

In a statement, the Egyptian presidency said Sisi made the remarks on Thursday during his meeting with visiting Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who was heading a delegation to participate in the Egyptian-Libyan Joint Higher Committee in Cairo, reports Xinhua news agency.

"President Sisi stressed that Egypt attaches the highest priority to restoring stability in Libya and empowering the war-torn country to restore its regional and international role," the statement said.

The two leaders discussed the recent developments in Libya, especially the issuance of the election law, which is an important step for holding the parliamentary and presidential elections on time, the statement added.

Egypt stressed its firm stance for "respecting Libyan sovereignty, preserving its territorial integrity, and rejecting all forms of foreign interference in internal affairs", said the statement.

The Egyptian President hailed the efforts of the Dbeibah government for improving the people's living conditions, expressing his confidence in the Libyan people for overcoming the ongoing challenges and rebuilding a strong modern state, it added.

For his part, Dbeibah said he valued the important role of Egypt in strengthening peace and stability in Libya.

Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. 

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in the capital Tripoli and a Tobruk-based one allied with Haftar.

In February, Libya's warring factions agreed to form an interim government, under the auspices of the UN, to run the country until the general elections are held on December 24.