Kerry to co-chair Libya gathering in Rome this weekend

The US Secretary of State John Kerry is set to discuss the formation of a unity government in conflict-torn Libya with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni in a conference in Rome on Sunday, State Department spokesman has said on Thursday.

The high-level talks were jointly called for by Italy and the United States and are set to also include representatives from Russia, Britain, China and France.

Italy has expressed hopes that the conference will pressure factions in Libya to speed up the formation of a national unity government.

The conference aims to give "a decisive push for the conclusion of a deal for a national government in Libya", Gentiloni told journalists last week.

"The ministerial will demonstrate the commitment of the international community to helping Libyans move forward rapidly to form a united Libya government," Washington said on Thursday.

Libya's rival parties met in Tunis on Thursday for talks on a disputed UN-brokered deal backed by the international community to set up a unity government.

The talks were to focus on moving the process forward ahead of an international meeting on Libya scheduled for Sunday in Rome, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said. 

Libya has had two administrations since August 2014 when a militia alliance, including Islamists, overran Tripoli and established a rival government and a parliament, forcing the internationally recognised administration to flee to the country's remote east. 

Western powers have been pushing Libya's warring sides to accept a UN accord to form a unity government and end Libya's conflict, has allowed Islamist militants to gain ground and illegal migrant smugglers to take advantage of the chaos.