MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The conference was announced on December 2 by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. According to Gentiloni, the main aim of the meeting would be to reach an agreement on Libya’s national unity.
US State Secretary John Kerry is expected to co-chair the talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who was on a working visit to Rome earlier this week said Moscow would continue supporting dialogue on Libya under the auspices of the United Nations.
Libya has been in turmoil since early 2011, when Arab Spring protests led to a civil war and the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi.
There are two rival governments in the country — one that is internationally recognized and based in Tobruk, and a self-proclaimed government in the former capital of Tripoli.
On December 12, Libya's warring parties agreed to December 16 as a date for signing a UN-backed national unity government deal aiming to bring an end to the ongoing crisis.
A UN-brokered dialogue on national reconciliation in Libya has been going on for a year.
