Libya: Italy attends the international Conference to confirm its commitments
ROME, Italy, September 1, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Libya: Italy attends the international Conference to confirm its commitments
“Our primary aim in attending the Paris conference is to confirm the international community’s commitment to Libya”, as expressed at the Contact Group meetings. The point was underscored by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who noted the immediate priorities of “unblocking Libyan funds and re-opening embassies as soon as possible”. And speaking of relations with a free, post-Gaddafi Libya, the Minister hoped to see “a UN initiative to support resolutions that would enable the position on the sanctions to be reversed” . Italy, therefore, will be arriving in Paris with confirmation of two commitments made in Libya and for the Libyans. One is the re-opening of the Italian Embassy in Tripoli and the other an immediate increase in the amount of funds released to help the population: from the 350 million announced last week to 500 million today, 1 September 2011. Prime Minister Berlusconi will be illustrating Italy’s contribution.
In an article in the American newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, Frattini proposed that the European Union should appoint a common ambassador to Libya to coordinate European countries’ efforts to support the creation of new democratic institutions.
In Frattini’s view, “the EU should also make a major effort to support the process of building new institutions in Libya and appointing an ambassador/head of delegation to provide effective coordination for European efforts on the ground. […] A successful transition to democracy will require long-term international assistance to build functioning institutions. Also needed will be an enormous effort to train the security forces, government officials and managers for Libyan businesses”.
“The international community”, added Frattini, “must avoid the risk of adopting a paternalistic attitude towards Libya. The country’s political future can and must be decided solely by the Libyan people. This applies also to the crucial issue of security. The terms of a limited international presence in the immediate post-Gaddafi period must be considered together and with the full participation of the Transitional National Council (TNC)”.
SOURCE
Italy – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
