Alfano with EU foreign ministers at a meeting on Libya on the fringes of the UN General Assembly

Following a day filled with high level meetings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, attended a meeting with EU foreign ministers on Libya, on the fringes of the General Assembly, which was also attended by UN Special Representative, Ghassan Salamé. The meeting was a follow-up to the London meeting of last 14 September and was opened with remarks by Salamé and by the High Representative of the EU, Federica Mogherini, followed by a debate on the issue among attendees. Alfano’s address to the meeting reiterated the tenets of Italy’s stance on Libya, and more especially the need to reduce to just one the multiple, uncoordinated initiatives by the international community, with the United Nations acting as sole negotiator and Salamé at the helm. “The time is right for Libyan people to agree on the necessary amendments to the political Agreement to encourage more inclusive dialogue” said Alfano. “It’s not just a question of east and west, Tripoli and Tobruk” said the Minister, “but there is also Misurata and the south; the entire process could fail if this aspect is not understood”. Alfano also stated that it “was vital to have an overall vision of Libya if there is to be stability in the country, and this vision must be decided by the Libyan people”. The speech concluded with an invitation by Alfano to the European Union to “contribute to managing the flow of migrants”, confirming that “Italy will continue to do its best to protect and assist refugees and migrants” and repeating that “there can be no compromise on human rights”.