Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani said that he is a “staunch supporter of the agreement between Egypt and Turkey, as it would help Libya hold elections.”
In an interview with an Italian radio station, Tajani added: “We want to play a leading role and solve the issue of migration in Libya, and work to stabilise the region.”
The minister stated that “there is a great desire for Italy to solve challenges throughout the Mediterranean region, and this is evident from every foreign visit we make.”
On Friday, Tajani said that Rome would work with Turkey to secure elections in Libya, according to Italy’s Nova News Agency.
“Turkey and Italy will work together in favour of holding the elections in Libya,” he said during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara.
Tajani added that the political decision that Italy made is to work with Turkey to stop “illegal migration flows.” He added that the Italian and Turkish Interior Ministers will discuss the migration file next week.
“We will work with Turkey in Libya. We will work to combat terrorism. I also talked – with Çavuşoğlu – about combating climate change, because if agriculture is affected by climate change, young people who work in agriculture and herding are potential terrorists who can be recruited by Al-Qaeda,” the Italian FM said.
Tajani pointed out that Rome will implement and develop joint initiatives with Turkey. He cited Ankara’s decision to impose entry visas for citizens from Bangladesh, who also use Libya to try to enter Italy illegally.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.
