Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday discussed the recent developments in war-ravaged Libya.

In a telephonic conversation, the two leaders have exchanged views about the latest developments of the Libyan situation in the light of the Egypt-sponsored initiative for peace in the North African country, according to the Bassam Rady, Egyptian presidential spokesman.

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President Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness to reach a comprehensive political settlement in Libya through the recently proposed initiative to achieve stability and security in Libya.

On Saturday, Sisi announced an initiative to end the Libyan internal conflict following his meeting in Cairo with Libyan east-based military commander Khalifa Haftar and Tobruk-based parliament speaker Aguila Saleh.

The spokesman said that Merkel welcomed the initiative, which she viewed as “an extension of the Berlin conference path with new effective elements and dimensions to the Libyan political process.”

The German chancellor also praised the Egyptian efforts to reach a settlement to the conflict in Libya, according to the spokesman.

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

Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had visited Germany to attend Libya conference and push for sustaining a fragile ceasefire and getting all foreign powers to withdraw from the conflict in the North African country.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’ office had said that Haftar committed to a ceasefire and was willing to attend the conference after Maas visited the commander in his base in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments: the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli and a government in the northeastern city of Tobruk allied with the Haftar-led Libyan National Army (LNA).

Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia support Haftar’s LNA, while the GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar as well as Italy.