(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni
An international summit between twenty nations is going to be held today in Vienna focusing on bringing stability to Libya, which has been plunged into chaos since the 2011 toppling of leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Monday’s important meeting will be co-chaired by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and US Secretary of State John Kerry, and attended by members of the UN Security Council, European countries, and regional powers, including Matla, Chad, Niger, and Sudan.
“The unity and stabilisation of Libya remain a priority for Italy,” read a statement from the foreign ministry ahead of the summit.
The aim of this meeting is to discuss how to support and strengthen the authority of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and how best to establish security in the conflict-ridden country.
The GNA’s Presidency Council, (PC) is expected to ask members of the summit to aid Libya in their fight against ISIS by partially lifting a UN arms embargo to allow the newly created Presidential Guard to be fully equipped to protect the country.
The GNA has struggled to gain authority mainly because the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR), which is designated to be Libya’s parliament, has delayed holding a meeting to give a vote of confidence to the unity government.
On Friday, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Aguila Saleh, the President of the HoR for impeding unity and delaying the political transition in Libya.
In addition, the influx of migrants traveling from Libya across the Mediterranean to Europe will also be discussed in the meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to last for two days, with Tuesday’s talks focusing on Syria.
