Palermo Conference

The Palermo Conference was a two-day long conference which took place in Palermo, Sicily on 12–13 November 2018{{Cite web|url=https://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/world-news/17048-palermo-conference-on-libya.html|title=Palermo Conference on Libya|website=www.imperialvalleynews.com|date=15 November 2018 |language=en-gb|access-date=2018-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115221740/https://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/world-news/17048-palermo-conference-on-libya.html|archive-date=2018-11-15|url-status=live}} to discuss United Nations policy concerning Libya.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/uncertainty-libya-haftar-attending-palermo-conference-181112112958483.html|title=Renegade General Khalifa Haftar joins Libya conference in Palermo|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2018-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114163459/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/uncertainty-libya-haftar-attending-palermo-conference-181112112958483.html|archive-date=2018-11-14|url-status=live}} Organized by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte,{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} 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|date=November 2020}}

Attendants included Libyan prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj,{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} Libyan field marshal Khalifa Haftar, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi, Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani,{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} Libyan parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh, and Khalid al-Mishri 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.{{cite news | url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1409896 | title=Palermo conference tries to tame Libyan factions | newspaper=Arab News | date=23 November 2018 | accessdate=24 November 2018 | author=Talmiz, Ahmad | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124085801/http://www.arabnews.com/node/1409896 | archive-date=24 November 2018 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}

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.{{cite web | url=http://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-palermo-conference-on-libya-any-achievements/ | title=The Palermo Conference on Libya: Any Achievements? | publisher=Valdai Discussion Club | date=16 November 2018 | accessdate=24 November 2018 | author=Lukyanov, Grigory | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125073854/http://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-palermo-conference-on-libya-any-achievements/ | archive-date=25 November 2018 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }} Haftar, who had made a surprise visit to Moscow earlier that month, was initially reluctant to attend the Palermo talks. He was likely convinced by Egypt and Russia to take part in the event.{{cite web | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/2018/10/26/la-russia-a-palermo-garantira-la-presenza-di-haftar_a_23572676/ | title=La Russia a Palermo "garantirà" la presenza di Haftar | publisher=L'Huffington Post | date=26 October 2018 | accessdate=24 November 2018 | author=De Giovannangeli, Umberto | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030759/https://www.huffingtonpost.it/2018/10/26/la-russia-a-palermo-garantira-la-presenza-di-haftar_a_23572676/ | archive-date=25 November 2018 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}

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|date=November 2020}}