On Tuesday, the Italian Senate agreed to refinance their military mission in Libya to train and support the Libyan coast guard in tackling illegal migration.
The decision came during a meeting to discuss the refunding of Italian missions abroad for another year.
It was approved by 260 parliamentarians, with 14 refusals and two members abstaining.
The Five-star Movement praised the council’s vote, saying that Italy’s commitment to Libya’s legitimate government to combat illegal migration “responds to the national interest with priority and clear importance”.
The movement expressed its hope that cooperation with Libya would come in a European framework, not just bilaterally.
This would mean that Libya would need to abide, as a precondition, to completely secure the human rights of migrants and respect international agreements.
The movement added that the Government of National Accord (GNA) had agreed to review the memorandum of cooperation signed in 2017.
This is thanks to the work of the Italian government and especially the efforts of Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio, saying, “We hope that the modification methods will end as soon as possible”.
