Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said Friday, "Italy is ready to do its part in Libya," but only once the United Nations (UN) has taken the initiative.

Briefing the lower house of the parliament, Gentiloni said the government was waiting for an international effort in the war-torn North African nation before acting. "Right now, the game is international," he said in comments on Middle East and global issues.

Talking about anti-terrorism in Libya, Gentiloni said: "Italy will do everything to defend its security, counteracting this barbarism."

Italy, along with the rest of Europe, has worried about gains made in Libya by armed terrorists who may use the North African country as a springboard for attacks in Europe.

On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Gentiloni and Italy's defense minister Roberta Pinotti in Rome, to talk about the issues in Libya and Ukraine. During his meeting with Stoltenberg, Gentiloni said, "Libya must be a focus of NATO," describing the stability of the North African country as "strategic" for Italy.