Italy calls Turkey a fundamental partner

Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Friday, and called Turkey a "fundamental partner" for Italy.

Di Maio extensively talked about the situation in Libya and the need to work for an end to the conflict through a political solution.

He called for a "sustainable ceasefire and not a simple freezing of the conflict which would lead to the division of the country."

Italy and Turkey support the U.N.-backed government that is based in Tripoli against the rival forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter, who is supported by France, Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries.

At the same time as calling for negotiated peace, the two countries are slamming the European Union’s naval operation in the Mediterranean that tries to enforce a U.N. arms embargo on the conflict-torn country.

Di Maio also said it was urgent to appoint a new UN Secretary General Special Representative for Libya "in order to support the political process", stressing underlying the importance of the Irini mission for Italy.

The current acting UN envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams, took on the post after her predecessor Ghassan Salame resigned earlier this year.