A senior Libyan official on Tuesday described Egyptian parliament’s decision on authorising President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to militarily intervene in Libya as “declaration of war”.

“Egyptian parliament approval of troops deployment outside its western borders is a declaration of war on Libya and violates Arab League and UN charters,” Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha said late Tuesday in a tweet which he later removed.

“Foreign forces on Libyan grounds are enemy. WE WILL NOT HESITATE defending our nation’s sovereignty, security and freedom,” Bashagha said in the same tweet.

In a move likely to worsen tensions in North Africa, Egypt’s parliament on Monday approved a proposal empowering military intervention in neighboring Libya, according to state media.

In a secret vote chaired by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, the parliament authorized al-Sisi to “take all necessary measures to protect the country's national security,” Egyptian daily Al Gomhuria reported.

The decision comes a week after Libya’s Tobruk parliament, affiliated with east Libyan leader Khalifa Haftar, gave Egypt the green light to militarily intervene in Libya under the pretext of "protecting the national security" of both countries.

Haftar has been supported internationally by Russia, France, Egypt, and the UAE.

Delay in Appointment of UN Envoy Hurts Libya's Peace Prospects: Tobruk Parliament Envoy

The continuous protraction of picking a new UN envoy to Libya is jeopardizing the war-torn country's prospects for peace and gets increasingly politicised, Aref Ali Nayed, the special envoy of the Libyan House of Representatives to the US, the United Kingdom, the European Union and African Union, said.

The position of the UN special envoy for Libya has been vacant since March when former envoy Ghassan Salame resigned over frustration with the deadlocked peace process. US diplomat Stephanie Williams is currently heading the UN Support Mission in Libya in an acting capacity.

"The delay in appointing a UN Special Envoy is deeply hurtful to Libya’s prospects for peace and stability. This appointment should be a purely professional and technocratic decision by [UN] Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] himself. Unfortunately, it has become the domain of international politics and intrigues," Nayed said.

Commenting on candidacy preferences, the diplomat said "As Africans, we welcome the appointment of an African expert."

Nayed said Libya needed more of African involvement to effectively cope with the bloody civil conflict and build peace.

"Just as we believe the Arab League and the Arab mutual defense agreements should be operationalised urgently. Perhaps the decision of the Egyptian Parliament to support Libya's sovereignty and independence will lead to more Arab and African commitments," Nayed said.

German Foreign Minister Urges Turkey to Stop Drilling Operations in Eastern Mediterranean

Germany believes that Turkey must stop its drilling operations in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean and must not launch similar operations near Greek islands, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday after a meeting with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias.

"We talked about Turkey and drilling. Our positions are clear regarding Turkey's drilling and operations in the Mediterranean - international law must be respected. Progress in EU relations with Turkey will be viewed through this prism if all Turkey's activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are terminated", Maas told reporters.

When asked whether Germany would promote any practical initiatives to end Turkey’s drilling activity during its EU presidency, Maas said that this issue was being discussed at every EU foreign ministers' meeting.

"We expect Turkey to stop drilling operations near Cyprus and not to start new activities either. This is a condition for progress. There is a large degree of unity in the EU on this issue", the German foreign minister added.

Qatari Defenсe Minister in Talks With Turkish Counterpart, Libya's GNA Interior Minister

Qatari Minister of State for Defenсe Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah has held negotiations with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, and Fathi Bashagha, the interior minister of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), amid Cairo's decision on the possible deployment of armed forces to Libya, the ministry said.

"The Qatari government's deputy prime minister and minister of state for defence affairs, Khalid Al Attiyah, met with Libyan [GNA] Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha in the Turkish capital of Ankara. They discussed the latest developments in Libya", the Qatari Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter.

Apart from that, Al Attiyah held talks with Turkish Defence Minister Akar in Ankara, focusing on "bilateral defence relations and the possibility to develop and strengthen them", the ministry added.