Off the wire
• China's vice premier urges fresh efforts to alleviate poverty  • Roundup: Thai PM hints martial rule might be enforced until early next year  • Chinese-built railway in Angola open to traffic  • 2nd LD: Gov't forces repel Boko Haram attack in Nigeria's Gombe city  • Iraqi security forces recapture large parts of al-Baghdadi town  • 1st LD: Gov't forces repel Boko Haram attack in Nigeria's Gombe city: witnesses  • 50 H7N9 human cases reported in Guangdong  • China considers taking more actions about steel pipe trade dispute  • Urgent: Gov't forces repel Boko Haram attack in Nigeria's Gombe city: witnesses  • Pipeline under bomb attack near Libya's al-Sarir oilfield  
You are here: 　 Home

Maltese PM welcomes Italy's "possible intervention" in Libya

Xinhua, February 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat welcomed Italy's announcement that it would join a UN-led force to battle terrorist threat after a faction in Libya has sworn loyalty to Islamic State militants, according to local reports on Saturday.

In a tweet posted on Friday night, Muscat said: "Glad Italy willing to intervene in Libya under UN mandate. Malta will play it's part to ensure Mediterranean stability."

Earlier, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in an interview that Italy backed efforts by United Nations special envoy Bernardino Leon to bring warring factions to the table to try to broker a ceasefire, reported the newspaper Times of Malta.

But he said should talks fail, Italy "is ready to fight naturally in the context of an international mission".

Libya, a major oil producer in North Africa, has been witnessing a frayed political process after its former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled during the 2011 political turmoil. The country is now juggling between two rival parliaments and governments.

According to Libya's transitional plan, the parliament elected last June, the House of Representatives (HOR), has already replaced the former interim GNC.

However, the armed Islamist alliance, Libya Dawn, which has achieved a series of military progress in western Libya since last July, backed the GNC in resuming power and forming its own government against the new one.

The internationally recognized HOR has been struggling to regain the lost territories by launching several air strikes on areas controlled by the militants. Endit