Italy kick-starts dialogue on conflict-wracked Libya

Italy has brought together the main players in the Mediterranean region and has kickstarted a dialogue on conflict-wracked Libya, Italy's Premier Giuseppe Conte tweeted on Tuesday.

His comments came after a meeting in Palermo with Libya's rival leaders and top officials from Europe, Russia, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt.

"Italy unites the protagonists of the Mediterranean region and re-launches dialogue on Libya," read the tweet.

The accord reached Tuesday's meeting held on the sidelines of an international conference in Palermo on stabilizing Libya "is a major step forward" which "has surpassed the Italian government's expectations", according to sources.

Conte, Libya's eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar and UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj attended Tuesday's meeting.