Italy and France are working to
stop the conflict in Libya, Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero
Milanesi said after meeting his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le
Drian in Rome on Friday.
"Naturally we talked about the situation in Libya, which is
worrying and holds the attention of both our governments,"
Moavero told a joint press conference with Le Drian.
"Our position, an absolutely joint one, is that a ceasefire
must be achieved as soon as possible.
"That must be followed by a humanitarian truce and a return
to talks.
"We have solidarity with the Libyan people, who are suffering
the effects of the armed clashes".
Le Drian echoed those sentiments.
"It is not possible to do anything in Libya without solid
Franco-Italian agreement and there is no way out of the crisis
that isn't political," he said.
"The crisis in Libya can become very dangerous, so it's
necessary to stop it.
"It is not possible to contemplate any military solution," he
added when asked about reports of French support for General
Khalifa Haftar, the eastern strongman who has launched an
offensive on the UN-backed government in Tripoli.
Le Drian also said that Rome and Paris have patched things up
after recent tension over several issues, including migrants and
the support of some members of the Italian government for the
Yellow Vest protest movement in France.
"We went through a somewhat difficult period in relations
with Italy but these difficulties have been overcome," he said.
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