Libya and Italy signed multiple agreements Tuesday to strengthen cooperation across sectors like infrastructure, investment, and development.
Prime Ministers Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Georgia Meloni announced the accords during the Italian-Libyan Business Forum, marking the first event of its kind in Tripoli in a decade.
Libya, still recovering from its 2011 civil conflict, remains divided between Dbeibah’s United Nations-backed government and a rival eastern authority supported by military leader Khalifa Haftar.
Dbeibah hailed the new agreements as a chance to boost Libya’s economy, sharing plans to resume ITA Airways flights by December and easing travel restrictions for Italian business visitors.
Infrastructure was a focal point, with the coastal highway project set to restart, spanning 1,800 kilometers from Libya’s borders with Tunisia to Egypt.
Italy described Meloni’s fourth visit to Libya as essential to fostering economic sustainability in the North African state.
The accords include initiatives to promote small and medium enterprises, facilitate Libyan-Italian bank partnerships, and support sectors like health, trade, and transport, though specific details remain undisclosed.
Italy remains Libya’s largest trading partner, with trade exceeding 10 billion euros in 2022.
These agreements align with Italy’s “Mattei Plan” for Africa, aiming to curb migration through African investments in energy, agriculture, health, and education.