The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio today in Paris. Secretary Blinken thanked Foreign Minister Di Maio for close coordination on Afghanistan, including Italy’s support for the temporary transit of thousands of Afghans through Naval Air Station Sigonella. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Di Maio discussed the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rome and reaffirmed the importance of Libyan political leaders taking the steps necessary to hold national parliamentary and presidential elections on December 24. They expressed shared concern about the political security and humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia, exacerbated by the Government of Ethiopia’s recent expulsion of key UN officials and Eritrea’s ongoing destabilizing military presence in Ethiopia. They also agreed on the importance of promoting stability in the Sahel.