Libyan envoys at UN-backed talks in Egypt agreed Wednesday to hold a constitutional referendum before planned elections in the war-torn country later this year, Egypt’s foreign ministry said.

Egypt “welcomes the agreement reached today between the Libyan parties in Hurghada in the framework of the constitutional process… and appreciates the efforts that led to the agreement to hold a referendum on the draft constitution in view of the Libyan elections scheduled for December 24, 2021,” the ministry said in a statement.

New talks will be held in Egypt next month with a view to settling the “road map for the referendum and elections”, it added.

During the Libyan talks in Hurghada, acting UN Libya envoy Stephanie Williams emphasized via a video call the need to agree on the constitutional arrangements needed to hold the elections as scheduled.

In June last year, Cairo announced an initiative to end the Libyan internal conflict, which included implementing a cease-fire between Libyan rivals, disbanding militias, pulling out foreign forces, electing a presidential council representing all Libyans and drafting a constitutional declaration to regulate elections for later stages.