Italy is "closely watching" events in Libya and hopes that national elections slated for 24 December will go ahead on time, defence minister Lorenzo Guerini said on Thursday.
"Italy is closely watching what is happening in Libya," Guerini said on the sidelines of the NATO Industry Forum in Rome.
"We are one of Libya's crucial partners and intend to remain so," Guerini underlined.
"We hope that the electoral process can take place within the planned timeframe, leading to a government and parliament in which investments can be made for the future," he said.
A UN-backed peace process calls for presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya on December 24, but there has been no consensus over the legal basis for the vote among the country's political factions and entities.
