Palermo Conference

The Palermo Conference was a two-day long conference which took place in Palermo, Sicily on 12–13 November 2018^[1] to discuss United Nations policy concerning Libya.^[2] Organized by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte,^{[citation needed]} it was attended by delegations from 38 countries, including Russia, the United States, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, as well as representatives of many rival Libyan factions fighting for power in the country.^{[citation needed]}

Attendants included Libyan prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj,^{[citation needed]} Libyan field marshal Khalifa Haftar,^[2] Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,^[2] Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi,^[2] Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani,^{[citation needed]} Libyan parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh,^[2] and Khalid al-Mishri^[2] speaker of the upper chamber in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Turkey's delegation, headed by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, withdrew from the conference on 13 November as a result of the exclusion of Turkish officials, on Haftar's insistence, from a private meeting between the conflict's key players.^[3]

While the conference led to no significant breakthroughs, it marked the first occasion on which Italy legitimized Haftar as a party in Libyan peace negotiations since the 2016 conclusion of the agreements that led to the establishment of the Government of National Accord.^[4] Haftar, who had made a surprise visit to Moscow earlier that month, was initially reluctant to attend the Palermo talks.^[3] He was likely convinced by Egypt and Russia to take part in the event.^[4][5]

Italian lawmaker Marco Zanni praised the conference. He was quoted as saying "The conference for Libya in Palermo has been a fundamental step in order to stabilize Libya and for the security of the entire Mediterranean". adding that the event constituted Italy's attempt to take a leading role in the Libyan peace process.^{[citation needed]}