Italian Minister of Parliamentary Relations, Luca Ciriani announced his rejection of Italy being a destination for migrants coming from North Africa, according to the Italian news agency, AKI.
In press statements, the minister said that “Italy cannot be a destination for all migration flows coming from North Africa. As we have repeatedly said to our European partners, and it is an issue that must include all of Europe.”
Ciriani added that “Africa should not be exploited. On the contrary, it needs help. The plan, which the Prime Minister spoke about, comes with Algeria and Libya.”
He noted that “the real tragedy is the people who depart from the coasts of Africa, and then die at sea.”
On Thursday, Italy’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Maurizio Massari said that “Libya remains an absolute priority in Italy’s foreign policy.”
In an interview with the Italian ‘La Voce Di New York’ daily newspaper, Massari said Italy has an absolutely central diplomatic role in Libya. He pointed out, “Our approach is to support a political solution that is shared by Libyans, and the various regions of Libyan territory, with the mediation of the United Nations.”
“For us, the United Nations is the only truly honest broker. The major European countries, after 2011, have taken different paths in Libya, by implementing policies that have not served the interests of stabilizing the country,” he noted.
The Italian diplomat stressed the need to avoid external interference, which only delays the formation of the internal Libyan framework.
“We fully support the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, who has been there a few months, but we believe he’s doing an important job,” he added.
Massari highlighted the importance of holding elections this year, “so we trust that Bathily, within a month or two at the most, can present his roadmap here in the Security Council, so as to be able to indicate the conditions for elections in Libya. With the rules of the game shared by all actors, we are very ready to lend a hand to Bathily in his work aimed at leading the North African country to stability.”
“So the times for postponements are over, and a precise roadmap for the elections will soon be needed,” he stressed.