Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met in Rome on Monday to discuss a number of issues including European efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, the Libyan crisis and the European Union’s Operation IRINI.
Di Maio said that Italy “will do everything to avoid any attempt to divide Libya” and called for a comprehensive domestic solution between the Libyan parties. He noted that “a comprehensive Libyan-Libyan operation is needed” to move past the current crisis. The Italian Foreign Minister also noted that “the Libyan people have suffered a lot and deserve to be the maker of their destiny”, without external interference.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that EU nations needed to pay more attention to Operation IRINI, the European Union’s latest naval mission in the Mediterranean that aims to combat arms smuggling to Libya.
During a visit to IRINI’s headquarters in Rome, Maas said that “the mission should be more stable” and pointed out that “EU member states should make more contributions because violations of the arms embargo to Libya, unfortunately, are continuing”.
Regarding the European Union reconstruction program in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Maas said he was “absolutely certain that we will have an understanding within the European Union.”
Germany is due to assume the presidency of the EU Council from July to December 2020. It will be responsible for progressing EU legislation and chairing the Council’s meetings.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is scheduled to visit Spain following his visit to Italy.