Star Metro - Libya and Italy sign slew of cooperation deals

The accords were signed by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and his Italian counterpart, Georgia Meloni, during the Italian-Libyan Business Forum, being held in the capital Tripoli after a decade's hiatus.

Libya is still struggling to recover from years of conflict after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

It remains split between the United Nations-recognised government of Dbeibah and a rival authority in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

Dbeibah said the deals were "a new opportunity to support the national economy", announcing the return of ITA Airways flights in December and lifting travel restrictions for Italian businesspeople.

He also announced a resumption of the coastal highway mega-project, a route spanning some 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles) from Libya's borders with Tunisia in the west to Egypt in the east.

In a statement, Italy said it aimed to help Libya achieve economic sustainability.

It described Meloni's visit to the North African country -- her fourth since taking office -- as "significantly important".

The two parties also signed agreements to promote cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises and between Libyan and Italian banks to boost foreign investments, according to Italian officials.

Additional agreements covered health, trade, and transportation, but specific contract details were not disclosed.

Italy remains Libya's largest trading partner, with trade between Rome and Tripoli exceeding 10 billion euros in 2022, according to official figures.

The agreements come as part of Italy's "Mattei Plan" for Africa, aimed in part at reducing irregular migration from Africa via investment in the continent.

The plan is named after Enrico Mattei, founder of the Italian energy company Eni. In the 1950s, he advocated for cooperation with African countries to develop their natural resources.

Migration is a key issue between the two countries as Libya has become a key launching pad for migrants mostly from sub-Saharan African countries, and with Italy often their initial destination.

Meloni had said the "non-predatory" cooperation programme between Europe and Africa was initially valued at 5.5 billion euros, some of which would be loans, with investments focused on energy, agriculture, water, health and education in African nations.

Under the programme, Rome has also signed deals with other African states, including Libya's neighbours Tunisia and Algeria.

X.Gaboury--SMC