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Italian Prime Minister: We have no ambitions for domination and expansion in Libya

August 9, 2018 at 1:05 am

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte [Laurentiius/Twitter]

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stressed on Wednesday that his country has no ambitions for domination and expansion in Libya. He called for the need to secure a stable political framework before holding the elections in this country.

“The fundamental interest lies in achieving stability in Libya, and we in Italy do not have any aspirations for domination and expansion in this country,” Conte said in statements aired on Italian state TV channel.

He stressed that: “Libya is of strategic importance for Italy for historical, geographical, and political reasons. Also, the migration routes that cross Libya are targeting Italy. That is why we have a major interest in relations with this country.”

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“Based on historical reasons, we believe that we can work with other partners in the Mediterranean in a balanced way,” he added.

Conte continued: “We will ensure our interests while respecting the interests of all the parties at the international conference that we will hold in Rome on Libya in November.”

Last Sunday, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Enzo Milanesi announced that an international conference on Libya would be held “the next fall”, without giving any precise details, making Conte’s statements the first declaration providing an approximate date of the conference.

In a similar context, Conte pointed out to France’s calls to hold elections in Libya, saying: “It is firstly important to secure a stable political framework before holding the parliamentary and presidential elections, with the necessary guarantees.”

We are aware that if we accelerate elections (in Libya), we will not achieve real stability. Therefore, we need gradual progress

he added.

Italian Prime Minister pointed out that, during a meeting in Washington last month, US President Donald Trump acknowledged “Italy’s important role in Libya, which was demonstrated in the United States’ support of a conference on Libya to be held in Italy.”