Libyan conference in Italy closes with 'encouraging signals'

UN Special Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame (L) and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attend a press conference after the second day of the Conference for Libya in Palermo, Italy, on Nov. 13, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

A two-day conference for Libya running in the southern city of Palermo closed on Tuesday, registering a positive climate among Libyan parties involved, according to Italian authorities.

"The substantial and highly-qualified presence of the Libyan parties here in Palermo has been a very encouraging signal, and a strong message of hope," Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at the closing joint press conference with UN Special Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame.

"We leave from Palermo feeling confident in the prospects of stabilization of Libya," Conte added.

Participants included Libya's four key actors: Prime Minister of UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj, Head of the High State Council Khalid al-Mishri, President of the House of Representatives (HoR) Ageela Saleh, and General Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army.

Overall, 38 delegations took also part in the summit, including representatives from France, Russia, China, the United States, Germany, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as from the European Union (EU), the Arab League, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

The basis for the agenda was provided by the UN new transition plan, which was recently unveiled by Special Envoy Salame, and called for a Libyan National Conference to be held in the country at the start of 2019 to define a format for subsequent elections by spring.

In this perspective, Salame told reporters the talks in Palermo helped him feeling "reassured" about the concrete prospects for such plan.

"I believe the national conference we are planning for the first weeks of next year is made easier by this summit," Salame told the press conference.

"That is because I have seen a unanimous support from the international community, and the clear commitment of those Libyans present here that they will attend and contribute to the national conference," the UN special envoy explained.

Tripoli-based PM al-Sarraj and General Haftar of the eastern Libyan National Army also held talks on the sidelines of the conference on Tuesday morning, in an informal meeting brokered by Conte and Salame.

This was seen as a good sign in terms of reconciliation efforts, since General Haftar had made clear he would not join the roundtable talks here in Palermo, and indeed left before the plenary session started.

The informal meeting was also attended by Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Overall, the Italian host stressed that Italy aimed at having the most inclusive approach in this summit. "Our interest is not to contribute to further divisions," Prime Minister Conte said.

"Within the Libyan scenario, Italy can be a factor promoting stability, and we do have the clear goal of talking with all Libyans (parties), which we see as equally important."