The EU will be sending a second mission to Tripoli soon, aiming to boost its presence in the Libyan capital

However, the EU is “in no hurry” and wants to adopt a cooperative approach with the Libyans, according to Agostino Miozzo, the EU’s director general for crisis response who has just returned to Brussels after opening an EU office in Tripoli.

Sharing his experience with the Brussels press corps yesterday, the EU’s envoy said the situation was still very fragile due to the lack of security and the many armed youths running around the capital.

“There is still a sense of fragility, mainly due to the fact that there are far too many weapons around. Hundreds, thousands of young men walking around with Kalashnikovs, pistols...and many four-wheel-drives with cannons,” he said.

However, there was a sense of optimism and that the new administrators want to avoid certain mistakes that took place in similar situations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We met, I would say a younger generation of politicians, and if these people will be the future leadership of Libya, I will say we will be in a safe condition. You can trust these people,” he said.

Mr Miozzo said opening the EU office was a “strong symbol”, highly appreciated on the ground.

“However, before beginning European aid projects, the new authorities need time to make the country completely secure and above all to achieve a unity that many fear will be difficult to attain.”

The EU, he said, intended to reinforce its operations in Tripoli in the coming months but did not want to force anything on the Libyan people.