On Saturday, the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, said that his country is seeking to receive greater support from the European Union (EU) in Libya.
In a press conference following the end of the European summit in Brussels, Draghi denied that he sought to reach an agreement to resettle refugees coming to Italy from Libya in other European countries, according to the Italian Aki news agency.
The Italian Prime Minister also explained that it is possible to reach an agreement that must be appropriate and serves the Italian interest. He said that any agreement based on a mandatory basis of redistribution or resettlement of migrants will not be accepted for the time being.
Draghi confirmed that Italy stands with Libya and supports it during this complex transition. It supports the concrete implementation of a ceasefire, the removal of mercenaries and foreign soldiers, and the creation of an institutional structure.
“If all goes well, this process should culminate with elections and “a process of national reconciliation” by the end of the year,” the Italian Prime Minister added.
Libya has been suffering from insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Moammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for thousands of migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores.
In 2019, Rome agreed on a plan with other European states to redistribute migrants after they arrived, but the scheme was voluntary and has not provided a stable solution.