Tunis, Tunisia
Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi and her Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio held talks in Rome about developments in Libya, according to the Tunisian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.
The ministry statement said discussions were focused on “coordination between the two countries on the Libyan file, especially given the positive developments in [Libya]”.
According to the statement, Di Maio described Tunisia as a “strategic partner for Italy” and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting the North African nation in all fields.
On March 15, Libya’s new unity government led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh was sworn in by the Libyan Parliament.
Libyans hope the government will end the years of civil war that has engulfed the country since the overthrow and assassination of strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011.
The war was exacerbated when warlord Khalifa Haftar, backed by several nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia and France, launched a military offensive to overthrow the internationally recognized Tripoli-based government for control of the North African nation.
* Written by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara