Deputy Minister Emanuela Del Re participated at the invitation of the French think tank Institut Prospective et Securité en Europe (IPSE) in an online webinar on Italian French cooperation in Libya.
“Libya is at a crossroads: the prospect of an intensification of a conflict characterised by an increasingly marked interference of regional and international actors pursuing particular objectives, on the one hand; on the other, the hope to resume inclusive dialogue to bring the country out of the current crisis” – the Deputy Minister said – “It is our common responsibility to make sure that Libyan actors accept to undertake the path of dialogue, the only one truly capable of ensuring a lasting stabilisation of the country.
The Deputy Minister defined the crisis in Libya as one of the main dossiers of the Italian and French diplomacy because of its impact on the region and the Mediterranean basin. “Many have been the joint initiatives of the two diplomacies” – the Deputy Minister added – “Our two countries cooperate closely also from an operational point of view with their active participation in the IRINI operation” – Del Re added – “A fundamental instrument to achieve the objectives of Berlin.
We are determined to ensure that IRINI is geographically balanced and impartial towards the intra-Libyan conflict, pursuing a mandate to counter all forms of violation of the embargo, including illegal oil exports”. On the prospects for cooperation between Rome and Paris: “I hope that we will be able not only to bring our respective positions on the Libyan dossier closer together but also to develop a common strategic vision to help stabilise all the ongoing crises in the Maghreb-Sahelian region as a whole. The region would greatly benefit from a united, solid, democratic Libya and once again an autonomous player capable of expressing its best potential”.
With reference to the activities of our development cooperation in Libya, the Deputy Minister indicated that they move according to two main directives: “programmes aimed at developing the stabilisation of the country and humanitarian emergency initiatives, which respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups, including migrants and displaced people”.
