The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, said Khalifa Haftar is the strongest figure in Cyrenaica region (eastern Libya), explaining that it was right to talk to him about illegal immigration, and stressing that their meeting with Haftar in Italy was not against or in favor of France.
Tajani said on the sidelines of the Forza Italia conference in Milan that they were protecting the interests of Italians and addressing and resolving the issue of immigration, which is very difficult because of a series of events as well as contributing factors that create an unexpected situation, specifically the immigration flows, Italian Decode 39 website reported.
The Italian FM said that the issue of immigration should be dealt with by large investments and not only through Italy because immigrants who go to Italy want to go to France or Germany. He indicated that they are heading toward the Mediterranean because they have a duty to face immigration flows and to guarantee Italy energy independence.
Haftar concluded a three-day visit to the Italian capital, Rome, last Friday. He met in there with senior officials from the Italian government.
Italian media indicated that the Italian officials’ meetings with Haftar focused the Sudanese crisis, the political process under the auspices of the United Nations and aimed at holding elections in Libya this year, and illegal immigration flows through Libya to European shores, which has increased recently, especially from the eastern shores of Libya that are controlled by Haftar.
