The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, had a telephone conversation today with the Chairman of the Libyan High Council of State, Abdul Rahman Swehli. During the telephone conversation, the Foreign Minister underscored the importance of the Action Plan to stabilise Libya promoted by the UN Special Representative, Ghassan Salamé, reaffirming his great concern for the new episodes of violence that have burst in the North African Country.
Minister Alfano firmly condemned all episodes of violence when commenting the finding of slaughtered bodies in al-Abyar, near Benghazi, and the bombing of Derna. He said: “Italy joins the Libyan people and institutions and the United Nations in asking for an effective investigation into these tragic episodes: finding the perpetrators is essential to continue along the path of stabilisation and reconciliation.” Minister Alfano continued: “I hope that international humanitarian organisations may soon access the area in order to provide the necessary assistance and relieve the suffering of the people. Italy will stand by the United Nations in this delicate effort. As I already stated at London’s Ministerial Meeting, Italy stands firm on the issue of humanitarian access and of human rights.”
“In this critical situation, we reaffirm Italy’s appeal to all Libyan factions to take advantage of the opportunity offered by Salamé’s Action Plan,” Minister Alfano told his interlocutor, expressing great appreciation for the constructive approach taken in the intra-Libyan dialogue that took place in Tunis between September and October.
He concluded: “In November, during the Italian Presidency of the United Nations Security Council, UN Representative Salamé will brief the Security Council on the developments in the political process in Libya. It will be a key moment: the unity of the Security Council has proven to be essential to make tangible progress on the Libya dossier.”
