President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani called on Monday for stronger cooperation between Africa and Europe.
Illegal migration coming from Africa can only be stopped by increasing European investments in the continent and helping Africans end civil wars, terrorism, and poverty, which would prevent millions from moving to Europe, Tajani said.
He added that the closure of North African ports will not be enough to reduce the phenomenon of illegal migration to Europe, noting that the ongoing conflict in Libya has resulted in a steady flow of migrants and refugees to Europe.
He expressed his concern over the situation in Libya, saying the EU aims to bring all Libyan conflicting parties to the negotiations table to promote a long-standing political solution and prevent a further influx of refugees into EU countries.
On the other hand, France and Italy are divided over policy towards Libya despite the official position of the EU, said Tajani, who has urged EU countries to speak in a single voice on the renewed crisis.
The EU officially supports the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Faiez al-Sarraj in Tripoli.
Since the clashes between General Commander Khalifa Haftar and the GNA began on April 4 over Tripoli, about 8,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the western region, according to the U.N.
