Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed (L, center) welcomes Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Tunis, Tunisia, on April 30, 2019. Giuseppe Conte was attending the first session of the Tunisian-Italian Higher Council of Strategic Partnership in Tunis. (Xinhua/Adele Ezzine)
TUNIS, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday called for dialogue to stop the fighting in Libya and settle the crisis there.
"Dialogue is the only way to avoid escalation and guarantee the unity and stability of Libya," Conte was quoted as saying in a press release by the Tunisian presidency.
Essebsi received Conte in Tunis, where he was attending the first session of the Tunisian-Italian Higher Council of Strategic Partnership.
The Tunisian leader said that his country has been following with "great concern" the latest developments in Libya and their direct impact on the stability and security in the war-torn country and the region as a whole.
"Tunisia supports any initiatives aimed at putting an end to the fighting," he said, urging the Libyan rivals to resume dialogue under the United Nations' auspices as soon as possible.
Conte praised Tunisia's steps on the road toward democratic transition in the face of "several difficulties," voicing Italy's support for Tunisia in its efforts to seek development and fight illegal immigration, extremism and terrorism.
The eastern-based army led by Khalifa Haftar has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over the capital Tripoli from the UN-backed government. The fighting so far has killed at least 270 and injured more than 1,300 others.
