The Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi di Maio, arrived Sunday in Tripoli on an unannounced visit and met with the Head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, as well as his two deputies, Abdullah Al-Lafi and Mossa Al-Koni and the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah and Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush.
Di Maio congratulated the Presidential Council and GNU officials on assuming office as part of the Government of National Unity in Libya.
The officials discussed bilateral relations and the possibility to work on the coastal road from Ras Ajdair (west) to Emssaed (east), which is supposed to be constructed by Italy as per an agreement between the two countries in 2008.
He reiterated Rome’s support for Libya and readiness to help in the process of unifying state institutions, adding that Italy had started increasing the number of its diplomatic mission staffers in Libya.
Di Maio also said his country wanted to develop relations with Libya to reach a strategic partnership, while the media office of Dbeibah said di Maio had expressed Italy’s desire to build trust between the two countries, reiterating Rome’s support for Libya and readiness to help in the process of unifying state institutions.
Dbeibah discussed with di Maio forming a joint committee to revive bilateral relations in development and trade activities between Libya and Italy.
He also touched upon the file of illegal immigration, which he said wasn’t linked to Libya only as it is a transit country not a source one and that there must be a coordinated policy to solve this issue from the source to target countries of immigration.
Di Maio indicated that Europe shouldn’t talk about Libya in terms of illegal immigration issues only, as cooperation in other areas is need as well.
