Despite the difficulties, Italy and the international community cannot but sustain dialogue between the parties, both in Ukraine and in Libya, as Minister for Foreign Affairs Federica Moghernini stressed today during her quarterly briefing on the status of international missions before the joint parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committees. The briefing offered an opportunity to take stock on the main crisis areas and to announce the recovery of the bodies of Andrea Rochelli and Andrey Mironov, the two reporters killed Saturday in Sloviansk.
Elections an important step for Ukraine
“It is an important step that the elections in Ukraine were held in a positive manner and recognised as such from the international point of view, even though the difficulties do escape notice”, Minister Moghernini underscored, recalling the harsh clashes still under way in the country’s east. “There are signs from the new president and from Moscow of a willingness to talk and this is something new. The international community has the duty to listen and it is in their interests to strongly support dialogue”, she explained.
Extremely fragile situation in Libya
“The situation in Libya is extremely fragile and the scenario is particularly volatile”, the minister said. “The prime minister-elect has been given a vote of confidence, although under trying circumstances” and the legitimacy of the elections is being contested, she pointed out. “Our role is not to choose to stand with one of the sides, but to say to all that what is needed is a political process under Libyan control, even though the international community is giving its support”, she specified. And a complete transition is in everyone’s interests, not least in order to succeed in managing migration flows”, she said.
Marines: international legal experts at work
“A committee of international legal experts has been set up and is following this new phase of internationalisation”, the minister said, “led by Sir Daniel Bethlehem, former chief of legal services at the British Foreign Office. Our approach has not changed: “The instalment of the new government will not make us change our mind about the fact that India does not have jurisdiction in the affair”, given that the Marines were “covered by international immunity”, she asserted.
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