Saila calls for addressing illegal migration issue collectively.

Rome, 7 February 2018 (Lana) GNA Foreign Minister, Mohamed Saila, has called for addressing illegal migration issue through common responsibility, unified and collective strategy and shunning away from individualistic remedial actions and eschewing the exploitation of the phenomenon for immediate goals and imposing pressures to enforce policies and projects that directly encroach on the sovereignties of countries. He underlined the need for synergy and rallying and unify efforts based on a comprehensive strategy. In his speech at the ministerial conference held in the Italian capital and devoted to the issue of illegal migration themed; 'Solidarity and Security' Saila said; Libya has for long paid attention to the issue of illegal migration, its challenges and identified the guidelines for its remedial actions and expressed its vision through regional and international organizations. He reaffirmed Libya's readiness to work with its partners to attain the objectives that would pave the way for restoring security and prosperity and indeed stability to the entire region. 'Our participation today reflects the importance that our country attaches to the issue of migration and its challenges and its efforts together with its partners to take necessary measures to confront them head on and lay down successful strategies to address their negative consequences, and that significant progress has been realized through constructive and fruitful collaboration with Italy, reflecting the spirit of solidarity and common responsibility, Saila explained. In this respect, Saila reviewed successes made since Rome's first conference on the issue on July 6 last year, such as decreasing the number of migrants by more than half after Libyan Coastguard achieved tangible successes in combating the phenomena across the Mediterranean. Saila said to underscore that the issue of illegal migration is a common responsibility, the GNA conducted a series of consultations with the UN, its members states and international organizations to set up a task force to coordinate on illegal migration issues, to act as a framework for technical cooperation and a coordination mechanism between the GNA and the international community headed by the Libyan Foreign Ministry, as a representative for the Government of National Accord, and International Migration Organization on behalf of the international community taking into consideration national laws and international instruments observed by the Libyan state in the illegal migration field and foremost the cooperation agreement with IOM signed in 2005 and Tripoli Declaration of 2006 and the MoU signed with the UN and international partners particularly the EU. Saila in this context praised international partners and foremost Italian government for supporting such initiatives, stressing that it is still long way before realizing the goal of scaling down this phenomenon, reiterating the significance of solidarity and collective responsibility and support from the partners and friends. The conference was opened by the Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who highlighted in his speech 'what has been achieved over the period that followed the convention of the first ministerial conference on July 6,2017. =Lana=