United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement reached between Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar and Government of National Accord chief Fayez al-Sarraj to hold elections in the country. In a statement late Friday, Guterres commended both parties "agreement on the need to end the transitional stages in Libya through the holding of general elections." The agreement was reached between Haftar and Sarraj during a meeting Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates capital. The two officials had agreed to a Paris-brokered deal in May 2018 and hold a nationwide election by the end of the year. But disputes delayed those plans.