EU's Josep Borrell meets Egypt FM, discusses Libya

The European Union's top diplomat told Egypt's foreign minister on Thursday as long as arms flow into Libya, it will be "quite difficult" to stop the fighting there.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said despite a UN arms embargo, weapons were still reaching the North African country.

He spoke to reporters about Libya at a press conference in Cairo, where he also met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

In March, the EU announced the launch of a new naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea aimed at enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya.

Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled long time ruler Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed.

The country has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

Egypt, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are all involved, supplying variously troops, fighters and military equipment to the warring factions.