Libya's political stabilisation and institutional transition ahead of elections slated for December, as well as the relaunch of its bilateral partnership with Italy was the focus of talks in Rome on Thursday between its parliament speaker Aghila Saleh and foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
Di Maio "reiterated Italy's full support for the stabilization of the country and the determination to collaborate with the interim authority and with all the branches of the Libyan state, to support the next stages of the institutional transition, in which the Chamber of Representatives (parliament) is called upon to play a decisive role," said a foreign ministry statement.
Di Maio underlined to Saleh "the urgency of resolving constitutional and legal issues" and approving the electoral law so that polls can go ahead on the scheduled date of 24 December, the statement went on.
Urgent approval of a unified budget for 2021 is vital to improving social conditions in war-ravaged Libya, Di Maio said. And October's ceasefire agreement between its warring sides "must be fully implemented without delay starting with the withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from the country," Di Maio added, according to the statement.
Di Maio also confirmed to Saleh Italy's interest in further consolidating the relaunch of the "bilateral partnership", as recently signalled by the success of premier Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibeh's visit to Rome and the interest in Libya shown by Italian businesses during a forum at the foreign ministry during the visit.
Besides re-starting bilateral projects in traditional sectors like infrastructure, Italy is ready to begin and deepen cooperation on other strategic areas, such as energy, culture and archaeology and health, Di Maio told Saleh, according to the statement.
An international conference on Libya talking place in Berlin on 23 June is "further testimony of the international community's growing commitment to the United Nations' work for peace and stability in Libya", the statement said.
