ROME – Italy will seek the opinion of other European countries before deciding whether to recognise Libyan rebels as the country’s legitimate representatives, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday. Asked whether Italy would follow the French govt’s lead on recognising Libya’s opposition, Berlusconi told reporters at a press conference in Rome: “It’s the view of a single government. “I think it is better for us to listen to the views of the entire European community,” he said.
“We will align ourselves with the European community,” he added. France, the first country to recognise the rebels, seized the initiative Thursday as the European Union hesitated in taking a decision, pending a summit on Friday at which EU leaders will urgently discuss the Libyan crisis.
