Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that the December 24 voting is decisive for Libyans and the future of democracy in the country.

During the opening of the seventh edition of the Mediterranean Dialogues Forum on Friday, Draghi called on all political actors in Libya to work for the elections to be free, fair, credible, and inclusive.

As he reiterated Italy's support for the political transition and peacemaking process in Libya, Draghi stressed that the success of the elections would make the Libyan institutions solid and democratically legitimate, and this would facilitate the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters from the country, as he put it.

The Paris Conference on Libya, held last November, reaffirmed the international community's unity around this goal, Draghi said, stressing that only a Libyan-led process can lead to a complete and lasting solution to the crisis.

Addressing the immigration issue, the Italian PM said they could not control the immigration movements on their own, urging European countries in the Mediterranean region to do more to strengthen humanitarian corridors from countries most at risk.

According to Draghi, around 63,000 migrants arrived on European shores since the beginning of this year, a six-fold increase compared to 2019. He called for promoting legal flows that would be a resource and not a threat to the EU society, as he put it.