Air patrols as part of an EU mission can be an effective measure to enforce an arms embargo on Libya, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Monday in an interview with the country's La Stampa daily newspaper
ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2020) Air patrols as part of an EU mission can be an effective measure to enforce an arms embargo on Libya, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Monday in an interview with the country's La Stampa daily newspaper.
On Monday, Di Maio is set to discuss with EU foreign ministers in Brussels the bloc's mission on controlling the arms embargo on Libya, among other issues.
"For us, it means, first of all, air patrols. Air patrols also would allow us to monitor land borders and detect violations. Of course, land and maritime patrols are also needed," Di Maio said.
According to the minister, there are ceasefire violations in Libya as hostilities in the country continue. However, the minister noted progress in the peace process in the war-torn nation.
"I met with him [Haftar] this week, now, he admits that this process may contribute to the settlement ... Now, both [Head of the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez] Sarraj and Haftar agree that the need to maintain a dialogue. The 5+5 military committee has been launched, this is an important step," Di Maio added.
The 5+5 Joint Military Commission on the Libyan settlement was established at the Berlin conference and includes representatives of both the GNA and the Libyan National Army. The first meeting was held under UN auspices in Geneva earlier in February. Following the talks, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Libya Ghassan Salame said that both parties had expressed the will to move from a temporary truce to a lasting ceasefire, while the commission would be involved in the monitoring of the ceasefire under the auspices of the United Nations Mission in Libya. The next meeting will begin on Tuesday.
