More than 1,000 Italians have been airlifted and shipped back from Libya over the last two days and Italy hopes to bring back a further 200 Friday, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said after talks with German counterpart Guido Westerwelle here.
Italy and Germany agreed on the need to protect all European Union citizens in Libya, the foreign minister said. Berlin also "fully understands, while not being a Mediterranean country, that the Mediterranean is Europe's frontier, on which we will have to do the most work in the near future," he said after Italy and other Mediterranean nations' pleas for more solidarity from the rest of the EU were met with reservations from many northern EU members Thursday.
So far Italy has received 6,300 North African migrants, all but 100 of them Tunisians, but there are Italian fears that the Libyan conflict may unleash a "Biblical" exodus. OBAMA, BERLUSCONI AGREE ON COORDINATED RESPONSE.
United States President Barack Obama phoned Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi as well as Britain's David Cameron and France's Nicolas Sarkozy Thursday night to agree a joint response to the Libyan crisis.
Obama and Berlusconi agreed on the need for a coordinated multilateral response to ensure adequate humanitarian assistance and basic human rights, the White House said. Frattini said Friday Italy agreed on a proposal for "targeted sanctions" to deter Gaddafi from shedding more blood.
Italy, Greece, Spain and France should take strict rules against the possible future immigration of people from Africa to Europe.
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