Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, whose country was the former colonial power in the North African state, held talks in the capital Tripoli, making his first trip abroad since taking office in mid-February. “This is a unique moment for Libya” with a new unity government in place, Draghi told a news conference, standing alongside interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. Italy is a major commercial partner for oil-rich Libya, where its energy giant Eni is a key player. “We have numerous issues of common interest,” said his Libyan counterpart Dbeibah, calling for Italy to reopen its airspace to Libyan aircraft. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to arrive in Tripoli later Tuesday to reopen his country’s embassy, following the example of France and Malta.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 06, 2021 13:18 UTC