Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi sent the following message to the American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, today:
“I was dismayed and deeply saddened to learn of the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and members of his staff in the wake of the cowardly attack on the Benghazi offices of the United States mission in Libya. I wish, in the name too of the Italian Government, to offer our heartfelt condolences, which I would ask you to convey to the families of the victims.
In recent months we have all appreciated the notable professional and human qualities of Ambassador Stevens, with whom we established a close and fruitful collaboration right from the start of the Libyan crisis. With his sensitivity and his deep knowledge of Libya and the Maghreb, Ambassador Stevens made a highly important contribution to the success of the rebellion against the Gaddafii regime and the new Libya’s democratic stabilisation process.
I wish, on this tragic occasion, to express our firm intention to insist with the authorities in Tripoli. I also wish to offer, if necessary, every possible help to ensure that all the facts are brought to light and that those responsible for this brutal crime against the US mission in Benghazi are brought to justice”.
