US, Italy Focus on Support for New Libyan Government

­ Libya's new government and its security challenges are the focus for diplomats as they gather in Vienna on Monday to discuss the situation in the country that has been in a state of chaos since leader Moammar Gadhafi was toppled and killed in 2011, Voice of America reports.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni are co­hosting the session aimed at supporting the Government of National Accord that Western powers hope can unite Libya.

The talks follow Kerry's visit on Sunday to Saudi Arabia where he sought that government's support in strengthening an agreement on cessation of hostilities between the Syrian government forces and rebels, ahead of broader talks on regional crises later this week.

Kerry, trying to shore up support for the shaky cease­fire in Syria, met with Saudi King Salman, whose country has been a key supporter of rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The top US diplomat and his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-­Jubeir, discussed developments in Syria, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Later, the Kerry will fly to Vienna where he and Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni will co­host a ministerial meeting on security and support for Libya's new government.

On Tuesday, the 17-­nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG) will convene in Vienna to discuss the stalled political talks, difficulties in maintaining the February cease­fire and the UN's uneven results in delivering humanitarian aid.

However, the Syrian government's recent military advances may diminish the ability to restart political talks seen as the best hope for ending the war.

Russia said it would use Tuesday's session to call for an end to commingling between terrorist groups and rebels in Syria.

Additionally, while Kerry is in Vienna, the US, Russia and France will focus on an effort to help stabilize Nagorno ­Karabakh, a disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which is officially part of Azerbaijan.

In April, the region suffered one of its worst outbreaks of violence in years.