On Friday, the Italian Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini called for a permanent ceasefire in Libya in order to achieve stability in the region.
“The temporary ceasefire between the Libyan warring parties must become permanent, because it represents an indispensable condition for the success of the political appeasement process,” Guerini said during a virtual meeting with the defence ministers of European countries participating in the IRINI operation.
He stated that Italy would continue monitoring strategic areas in the Mediterranean, Libya, Lebanon and North Africa to ensure the success of the IRINI operation.
Guerini added that the permanent ceasefire strengthens the efforts of the Italian Ministry of Defence, explaining that his country will contribute to removing mines from urban areas affected by the conflicts.
The meeting was held at the invitation of Portuguese Defense Minister João Gomia Cravenio, in which the ministers of other member states also participated: France, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden.
The leadership of IRINI announced a few days ago that it was able to take all necessary measures to accomplish its tasks, including boarding ships suspected of violating the UN arms embargo on Libya. It also indicated that the operation had entered its critical stage, and reached full operational capacity, with a Greek frigate joining the IRINI fleet.