BRUSSELS--European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini
will meet United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Italian
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Monday, as the EU works to respond
to a refugee crisis.
Monday's meeting will take place on the Italian Navy ship San
Giusto off the coast of Sicily, Ms. Mogherini's office said on
Saturday. She will meet high-ranking U.N. officials and other
international partners on Tuesday in New York and will travel to
Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on
Wednesday.
EU leaders tasked Ms. Mogherini last Thursday with pursuing
options for taking on criminal gangs who have organized the
trafficking of people on dangerous sea journeys from the Libyan
coast to Europe. Hundreds of migrants have died in recent days in
such crossings, prompting a response from the 28-nation bloc.
In addition to stepping up funding for possible search and
rescue missions, EU leaders are looking at an initiative that would
allow authorities to capture and destroy the boats used by
smugglers. That is likely to be a limited military operation and
could require backing from the U.N. Security Council.
Ms. Mogherini is expected to gauge the prospect for U.N. support
for such an operation on Tuesday. Ms. Mogherini's office said she
would also be in contact in the coming days with the U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, and the head of the
African Union commission.
Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires