Germanyʹs Merkel hosts head of Libyan government amid offensive by rival forces
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday hosted the head of the internationally-recognised Libyan government, Fayez al-Sarraj, for talks on finding a solution to the country's crisis.
During a trip to Burkina Faso last week, Merkel said that Europe must adopt a common position to resolve the Libyan crisis.
Last month, the commander of the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar, ordered his forces to seize Tripoli from Sarraj's internationally recognised government. The fighting over Tripoli, which has claimed about 400 lives, has since reached a stalemate, with neither side able to make substantial progress.
"The military option cannot be a solution and you have confirmation of this because now we are practically in a situation that seems like a stalemate," Conte told reporters after his meeting with Sarraj earlier on Tuesday. Conte said the situation on the ground could change quickly, however. He said he was planning to talk directly also with Haftar. (dpa)