Italian newspaper la Repubblica has revealed that Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte carried a message from the Head of the Presidential Council Fayez Al-Sarraj to Khalifa Haftar when he visited Benghazi with the Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio. In the message, Al-Sarraj proposed to Haftar that he names a Prime Minister for the new government as part of a political settlement.

The Italian newspaper said Al-Sarraj told Conte and di Maio of his message to Haftar when he visited Rome before the Italian officials went to Benghazi for the release of the 18 fishermen.

Italian news agency "NOVA" reported Al-Sarraj's visit to Rome on December 15 with his wife.

Conte and di Maio arrived in Libya's Benghazi last week and met with Haftar for the release of 18 Italian fishermen who had been in detention since September.

Observers believe that the failure of UNSMIL to reach an agreement at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum will lead to keeping the current Presidential Council until elections on December 24, 2021.