Italian and Russian foreign ministers convene to discuss ongoing conflict in Libya

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will host his Italian counterpart, Enzo Moavero, in Moscow today, where they will discuss ways of cooperating to resolve the ongoing Libya crisis.

The trip precedes a conference in Sicily next month, which is seeking the participation of the major warring parties in Libya to move towards resolving the conflict peacefully. The meeting in Moscow today is part of a wider Italian effort to gain greater influence over the Libyan peace process, after France sought to assert its own role in the process with an agreement in May that promised peaceful democratic elections by December 10th. The Italian government has pushed back against efforts by France and Libya’s transitional national government to impose a date for elections. However, Italy is also eager to participate in efforts to stem a conflict, which has become the main source of migrants into Europe this year.

Along with Moscow, Rome remains concerned that the unstable security situation makes it highly unlikely that any political agreement reached at a summit next month could translate into a peaceful political transition on the ground. As a result, expect today’s ministerial meeting to focus on efforts to boost security and political dialogue in Libya.

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