Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni arrived in Libya on Tuesday, marking the first visit of a European official to the country since 2014.
Gentiloni is scheduled to meet with the new Libyan government leader Fayez Al-Sarraj on Tuesday at a naval base in Tripoli.
Al-Sarraj moved to Tripoli after being appointed the new Libyan prime minister, according to a UN-backed agreement.
Several countries have offered to train Libyan forces in order to achieve security in the oil-rich country which faced turmoil after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
All diplomatic missions to Tripoli were evacuated in 2014 due to the deteriorating security situation.
Libya was governed by two warring parliaments and governments, until both sides reached an agreement with the help of the UN earlier this year.
The UN-sponsored deal between rival factions in Libya’s government gave way to a unity government deal that was announced in December. This unity government has gained support from the Tobruk parliament, hopefully filling the void of governance that has been exploited by the “Islamic State” (IS) and militants.
Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi denounced last month the declarations of the US ambassador to Rome regarding Italy’s intention to send 5,000 soldiers to Libya.
