Italy's foreign minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi held talks in Rome with the United Nations special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame on Friday ahead of an international meeting aimed at stabilising the turmoil-wracked country which is being held in Sicily next month.
Moavero and Salame's meeting "provided the opportunity for a mutual update on preparation for the Palermo Conference of 12-13 November, which is taking place in the framework of the UN action plan," the foreign ministry stated.
The UN action plan unveiled by Salame in September last year includes holding presidential and parliamentary elections before the end of 2018 but Salame has since said that current conditions may not allow free, fair and peaceful elections this year - a view shared by Italy.