EU may send team to Libya if peace talks succeed

By Adrian Croft and Alistair Scrutton RIGA (Reuters) - The European Union might send a team to Libya to monitor a ceasefire or to protect infrastructure if United Nations-backed peace talks lead to a settlement between contending factions, the EU's head of foreign policy said on Friday. "We have started discussing possible EU contributions ... to supporting any possible agreement," Federica Mogherini told a news conference in the Latvian capital of Riga after talks among EU foreign ministers. This could include "all possible forms of support, including missions or operations," she said. She said an EU team could monitor a ceasefire if one was agreed in Libya, or it could protect basic infrastructure. Libya's warring factions held U.N.-backed talks on Thursday in an effort to end a conflict between two rival governments that threatens to drive the country into full-blown civil war. Egyptian jets bombed Islamic State targets in Libya last month after the group there released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians. The EU's discussions follows pressure from southern EU members, led by France and Italy. They want EU action to prevent Islamist militants from strengthening their position in Libya and to stem the flow of migrants reaching Europe on boats from Libya. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned of the risk that a militant group could take over Libya, an important oil producer that lies close to Europe. "You imagine what that would mean if a terrorist group took control of a country like that," he told reporters in Riga. The 28-nation EU regularly sends military or civilian missions to countries to help them recover from conflict. Mogherini did not specify whether she had in mind a military or civilian team for Libya. "I've always said, if the political process starts ... the international community and the European Union first of all will be ready to support (it) with all possible means," Mogherini said after the ministers spoke by phone to U.N. Libya envoy Bernardino Leon, who was in Rabat. Ministers started discussing options on Friday and would return to the subject at their next meeting, in Brussels on March 16, Mogherini said. Any EU mission would need to be agreed with the Libyans, perhaps with a national unity government, with the United Nations and with key Arab countries, Mogherini said. The EU set up a team of experts in 2013 to advise Libya on controlling its borders. But deteriorating security forced the team to operate from Tunisia. (Additional reporting by Aija Krutaine; Editing by Larry King)