Libya "is too big a challenge" for lone European nations, which are now "moving towards" joint action on the war-torn country and are "on the same page", Italy's premier Mario Draghi stated on Wednesday.
"It (Libya) is too big a challenge to be taken on by individual countries," Draghi told Italy's Senate upper house of parliament ahead of a European leaders' summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
While in the past, some European countries sought a national strategy in Libya in competition with other nations, they are now paring back their presence in the Sahel region, Draghi noted.
"We are moving towards agreed, collective action...we discuss things and are on the same page," Draghi said.
European Union action on Libya should take place under the aegis of the United Nations, with possible involvement by the United States, Draghi argued.
Draghi's remarks came as an international conference on Libya in Berlin called for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from Libya "without delay" and for its security forces to be reformed, unified and put under civilian control.
The Berlin conference also urged Libya to unify its institutions, to pass an electoral law to allow key national polls slated for 24 December to take place on time, and to approve a balanced national budget.
Twelve nations including Italy, the United States, Russia, France, Turkey and Britain attended the Berlin meeting. The African Union, the EU and the Arab League also took part in the summit, which was convened by Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas and UN chief Antonio Guterres.
