What is behind Al-Sarraj’s visit to Italy? – Erm News

The head of the reconciliation government arrived in Libya Fayez Al-Sarraj And his Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala and Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, on Thursday evening, to the Italian capital, Rome, on a visit he announced to discuss developments in the Libyan crisis and bilateral relations.

The Italian news agency “AKI” reported that Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte received, at the headquarters of the government in Kiji Palace in Rome, the head of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, who arrived in the Italian capital Thursday evening, according to what was quoted by government sources.

A diplomatic source close to the Government of National Accord said that the visit comes in the context of discussing a number of issues between the two parties, on top of which is the file of migratory flows from the Libyan coasts towards Italian lands, bilateral economic cooperation and developments of the Libyan political crisis, according to him.

The source indicated that the Libyan delegation will hold meetings with the Italian ministers of interior and foreign affairs to discuss joint cooperation files, the most important of which are the cooperation file in the field of building security capabilities, the file of illegal immigration, and combating human trafficking and smuggling.

The visit comes at a time when Libyans are turning to the outcomes of the dialogue sessions that are taking place on more than one level, with the aim of getting out of the current crisis and building a peaceful political path that ends the state of fighting and achieves political stability, and at a time when Libyans are waiting for Sarraj to announce his resignation from his post, as he promised in the middle of last month.

Among the features of this visit, according to observers, is that it comes months after the Italian Foreign Minister’s visit to Tripoli last July, and after differences of views between Al-Sarraj and Rome regarding the two agreements that the Sarraj government signed with Turkey in November of last year. Both were described by Italian Prime Minister Joseph Conte at the time as “absurd”.

Observers of the Libyan affair said that Al-Sarraj’s visit during this period in which Libya is witnessing a political movement and in preparation for the post-conflict phase in which Turkey played a pivotal role, represents a step to calm and rapprochement with Rome and rebuild relations with it, especially with regard to the economic file and the restoration of Italian companies and investments to Libya, they said.

Earlier, the Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, called on his country to deal with the increasing Turkish presence in Libya, considering that this presence was crucial in saving the Libyan “reconciliation” government.

In statements carried by the Italian agency “Nova”, Di Maio considered that the Turkish presence in LibyaIt is the result of the strong military support that Ankara wanted to guarantee to the Libyan Government of National Accord, which turned out to be crucial in repelling the attack on the capital, Tripoli, according to him.

He added that his country did not want to take the path of military intervention in Libya, in line with its constitution and values, explaining, “It was the right choice, but it is clear that now, and perhaps for some time in the future, we will have to deal with the increasing Turkish presence in the country.”