Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday
outlined the establishment of a no-fly zone as an option for
resolving the Libya conflict.
"A no-fly zone too can be an instrument for achieving a goal: the
immediate cessation of hostilities," Conte said in his end-of-year
press conference in Rome.
Italy fully supports the initiative for a Libya conference early next
year in Berlin, he added.
"There is extensive diplomatic activity on the side of Italy which is
often not visible," Conte said.
Libya is a former Italian colony.
The Italian leader cited conversations he'd had with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Like Turkey, Italy stands behind Libyan Prime Minister Fayez
al-Serraj and his UN-backed, Tripoli-based Government of National
Accord (GNA).
Russia supports the forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar,
based in Libya's east. He has been trying for months to take over
Tripoli.
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gestures as he speaks during the end-of-year press conference