Italy FM comments before start of Libya conference

Italy's foreign minister said on Sunday he hoped that "a permanent ceasefire" coud be agreed at the international conference on Libya.

Luigi Di Maio said various countries participating to the conference would be "ready to put in place a mission to monitoring that the embargo is respected."

Germany is bringing together the key players in the long-running civil war in a bid to curb foreign military meddling, solidify a ceasefire and help relaunch a political process to determine the nation’s future.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited leaders from 12 countries, as well as the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League, to Sunday’s summit at the chancellery in Berlin.

Libya's two main rival leaders: Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj and General Khalifa Hifter are both expected to attend the conference too.