Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj speaks during a press conference on March 30, 2016 in the capital Tripoli. | Stringer/AFP via Getty Images Libya resists EU naval mission in its waters France wants focus on weapons smugglers, concerned about arms reaching ISIL members in Europe.

LUXEMBOURG -- Libya's fledgling leadership does not yet want the EU's naval operation targeting people smugglers to start operating in its waters.

Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj addressed EU foreign and defense ministers Monday in Luxembourg via video call about how to strengthen border controls and the country's institutions, but did not ask for the EU's Operation Sophia -- launched last summer and currently operating in international waters -- to move into Libya's territorial waters.

The meeting took place after many migrants were feared drowned when their boats capsized late Sunday while traveling to Italy from Egypt. Migrant flows from Libya to Italy have increased in recent weeks, after the EU-Turkey refugee deal stemmed the flow of people traveling from the Middle East to Greece via the eastern Mediterranean route.

Ministers discussed the possibility of the Sophia mission moving into Libyan waters, as envisaged in its mandate. However, even if Libya officially asked for an intervention, some governments, such as Germany and Sweden, would need to get their parliament's approval.

Diplomats said other governments stressed the need to have full U.N. backing before taking the next steps.

France pushed for Sophia's mandate to be expanded to include the possibility to stop weapons smugglers -- concerned about arms from Libya reaching ISIL members on the Continent -- while other countries wanted the focus to remain migration.

Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, told reporters after the meeting that Serraj "mentioned the need to work together in managing migratory flows," in addition to "the work on border control, training and assisting in particular for Coast Guard."

One diplomat said Serraj, who only arrived in Tripoli on March 30 after being exiled by militias, does not even control the capital, so “he could not ask for more."

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