Clinton voices support for Turkey's roadmap on Libya

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday had a bilateral meeting with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Rome ahead of the meeting of the Libya Contact Group. During the meeting, Clinton reportedly said the US administration has been supporting Turkey's roadmap for Libya and that Washington is willing to be in close cooperation on the Libya issue. Davutoglu, meanwhile, informed Clinton about the reconciliation agreement signed by rival Palestinian factions in Cairo on Wednesday. Reiterating his call for international support for the agreement, Davutoglu asked Clinton for the contribution of the United States. Meanwhile, during the meeting of the Libya Contact Group Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said that Davutoglu has called for a cease-fire in Libya within seven days. Frattini said the United Nations had confirmed its objective for a cease-fire as soon as possible, and that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had suggested the target. “Minister Davutoglu, from Turkey…spoke of a very ambitious objective, a cease-fire within seven days,” Frattini said. On the other hand, the UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan told reporters in Rome after the Libya Contact Group meeting that international allies in the coalition against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will hold their next meetings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey.