CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVI LEGISLATURE, 450th MEETING, 16 MARCH 2011 – QUESTION TIME.

On 16 March 2011, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Franco Frattini, replied to a Parliamentary question concerning the situation in Libya. Having described Italy’s key political and humanitarian role in the crisis, the Minister explained the conditions determining the consent to a military action in Libya. He stated:

“We cannot accept a unilateral military action. Measures implying the use of force shall be authorized by a Security Council Resolution and be taken within a multilateral, regional framework, to avoid rifts between Europe and NATO and prevent the hostility of the Arab countries. Our work shall be aimed at promoting agreement for the violence to be brought to an end and at facilitating the dialogue between different factions – as you know, tribes are the most important territorial communities in Libya – in order to safeguard the territorial integrity of Libya.”

The full Italian version of the statement can be found at:

http://leg16.camera.it/410?idSeduta=450&tipo=alfabetico_stenografico