Italy continues to support United Nations brokered talks between Libya's warring factions to bring peace and democracy to the conflict-wracked country and views relations between its civil and military powers as the crucial issue to resolve, foreign minister Angelino Alfano said on Monday.
"We have backed from the start the efforts being made by the UN special envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, who has been talking forward the negotiations in Tunis," said Alfano.
"It's clear that the key question is the relationship between the civilian and military powers. And an agreement (between Libya's rival political factions) is essential for the transition process that will end with free elections."
Alfano emphasised his country's backing for the UN-brokered talks.
"We were the first country to open an embassy in Libya. We will keep going down the negotiations route and are strongly supporting it," he said.
Alfano was in Palermo for the presentation of the Italian foreign ministry's 2018 cultural programme in the Middle East and North Africa, 'Italy, Culture, Mediterranean' and will attend a two-day meeting there of the 57 member-states of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on migration and security which kicks off on Tuesday.
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