Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani has invited the UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily to visit Rome. He added that Italy shares the hope that elections will be held soon in Libya, to overcome the crisis there.
In an interview with Italy’s “La Stampa,” the Italian diplomat said Libya is “strategic for Italy and for many reasons.” Responding to a question whether he or Prime Minister, George Meloni are planning to visit Libya, Tajani said that “We’ll get there sooner or later, but first we need a clear plan leading to elections. Libya’s stability is essential also for the migration issue.”
Regarding migrant abuse reports in Libya, and whether Rome will monitor this, Tajani said, “It is essential that Libya have a stable government, in order to have some control over these situations.”
Last week, Tajani expressed his concern about the situation in Libya. At the opening of the fifteenth Conference of Italian Ambassadors in Rome, Tajani said that “there is a great concern and we are working intensively on the diplomatic level on the Libyan issue.”
“We are working with all countries in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa because we consider them a priority to solve the migration issue, and Italy has close relations with the Mediterranean, not only geographically but also historically,” he said.
Earlier this month, Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni expressed her hope for Parliamentary and Presidential elections to be held in Libya, as soon as possible.
“We are determined to develop relations with Libya in all fields,” Meloni said in a letter addressed to her Libyan counterpart, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba.
“Libya’s stability is an absolute priority of Italy’s strategy, as it is an essential element to ensure the security of the entire region. We are ready to do our part to achieve this stability in support of the United Nations while respecting Libyan sovereignty,” she said.