ROME, March 6 -- The international community would join hands to help Libya realize political and security stability, while the country's warring factions need to make a serious effort toward national reconciliation, world diplomats said here Thursday.

"Security and political stability are inter-dependent," Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini told reporters on the margins of an international conference to discuss the Libyan crisis.

"Libya is not alone," she added, mentioning "concrete initiatives" on security and governance, which would be discussed in the coming weeks at another international meeting in Turkey.

But Mogherini warned that it would be "very difficult" to get the projects rolling "if on the ground there are no conditions for political stability and security."

During the conference, diplomats also stressed the urgency of securing weapons and ammunition left over from the regime of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to help bring more security to the country.

"Those materials are a lethal legacy of the Gaddafi regime, and constitute a threat to the entire region," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

He added that Germany and France are allocating several million euros for the weapons-securing project this year.

Two-and-a-half years after the fall of the Gaddafi regime, Libya is still struggling to contain violence between rival forces, with Islamist militants gaining an ever-stronger grip on the south of the country.

The international conference, attended by some 40 delegates, focused largely on easing disagreements among Libya's diverse tribal, religious and ethnic populations, looking to write a new constitution, and holding elections this year.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius described the situation in Libya as "very worrying" due to "terrorist acts and risks in the south in particular, and an unstable political situation in general."

The meeting was important because "for the first time it brings together a very large group of countries," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also said the meeting demonstrated "our commitment altogether, a huge number of countries" that were drawing up plans to help the Libyan government.

"We recognize that this is really a pivotal moment for Libya as it drafts a post-revolution constitution and moves towards national reconciliation and elections," Kerry told reporters.

He said the international community would "continue to work closely to fight terrorism and the spread of conventional weapons," while also helping "build democratic institutions."

In his address to the conference, Wu Sike, China's Middle East special envoy, called on the international community to honor aid commitments for Libya while fully respecting its sovereignty, independence and unity.

Praising Libya's efforts and positive progress in pushing for political transition and economic reconstruction, he pledged support for a leading role of the United Nations in Libya's reconstruction.

China has offered to help Libya's political transition and economic reconstruction within the radius of its capacity and is willing to continue contributing to the process together with the international community, he said.