Libya and Italy sign slew of deals amid Meloni trip to Tripoli
Libya and Italy have signed a slew of business agreements with an aim to boost cooperation between the two Mediterranean states, according to TheNewArab and agencies
During a visit to Tripoli on October 29th, the Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni signed deals with her Libyan counterpart Abdulhamid Dbeibah covering various sectors including investment and infrastructure.
The two met at the Italian-Libyan Business Forum in the capital after the forum’s decade long hiatus.
Dbeibah hailed the accords as “a new opportunity to support the national economy”, announcing the return of flights from the Italian state-owned ITA Airways in December and lifting travel restrictions for Italian businesspeople.
He also announced a resumption of the coastal highway mega-project, a route spanning some 1,120 miles across Libya, from its border with Tunisia in the west, to the Egyptian border in the east.
READ: Algeria suspends press licence of Saudi owned MBC news outlet
Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew entrenched dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya is still struggling to recover from years of conflict.
The demons of the Arab spring and the ensuring civil war remain, with the nation still bitterly split between the United Nations backed Dbeibah government, and the rival Libyan National Army authority in the east, headed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Italy said its goal was to help Libya achieve economic sustainability, describing Meloni’s fourth visit since taking office as “significantly important”.
Agreements such as promoting the collaboration between Libyan and Italian SMEs and banks were signed with a view to increase foreign investment.
Health, trade, and transportation were also covered but specific contract details were not disclosed.
READ: Sudan civil war: Outsiders are “fueling the fire” says UN chief
Current Italy is Libya’s largest trading partner, with 10 billion euros worth of goods passing between the two in 2022, according to official figures.
The recent agreements are part of Italy’s “Mattei Plan” for Africa which is partly aimed at reducing immigration from the continent.
Like with France and Morocco, migration is a key issue between the two countries as Libya has become a key launching pad for migrants attempting to reach Italy.
Meloni has said previously that the “non-predatory” programme between Europe and Africa was valued at 5.5 billion euros, some of which is loans.
Named after energy company founder and advocate for fair-trade, Enrico Mattei, Italy’s “Mattei Plan” focuses on developing infrastructure and basic amenities in African nations.
Under the programme, Rome has also signed deals with other African states, including Libya’s neighbours Tunisia and Algeria.
TheNewArab and Agencies
