The first Italo-Libyan Economic Forum, organised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, with Libya’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeg, will be held in Agrigento on 8 July, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Forum, which was first proposed by Minister Alfano while on a visit to Tripoli on 6 May and promptly seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Maiteeg, will promote a discussion, also involving private stakeholders, on prospects the Libyan market can offer to Italian companies once security conditions are re-established, as well as the future position of the Italian economic system in Libya.
“Historically Libya has always been an important partner for Italy, from the economic point of view as well as from the political and security standpoint,” said Minister Alfano. He then continued on to say: “The Italian government is determined to contribute to the stabilisation of the country and return security conditions to relaunch bilateral relations from all standpoints with special focus on economic, infrastructure and energy cooperation.”
The Forum has been designed as a means to explore cooperation opportunities in priority sectors – energy, infrastructure, networks, economic and financial cooperation, between Italy and Libya. It aims to leverage the special relations that tie the two countries together. With this in mind, the event will bring together for the first time the most important representatives of the Italian and Libyan entrepreneurial, financial and consultancy world, and the top officers of the Libyan government.
“The Italian Government wants to strengthen its friendship and cooperation ties with Libya in the field of social and economic development and in particular contribute to the rebuilding of the Country, ” said Minister Alfano while illustrating the goals of the forum. “We wish to consolidate further the bilateral partnership, based on cooperation in the economic, infrastructure and energy sectors, promoting in both countries further economic and commercial cooperation actions.”
The Forum will also include, among its main themes, the development of the telecommunications sector by rebuilding and strengthening Libya’s TLC networks, laying new cables and enhancing existing ones, and using an important “hub” in Sicily, that would become the core of internet traffic in the Mediterranean.
“Financial cooperation represents a specific field of interest for which Italian institutions are available to support, in the years to come, an overall commitment,” pointed out the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Organisational details
Following the opening addresses by Minister Alfano and Deputy Prime Minister Maiteeg, the Forum will continue in four sequential thematic panels dedicated to: prospects for international investments in Libya; Energy and Networks; Financial Setting and credits of Italian companies and Infrastructure.
Every session will include distinguished panelists such as, among others, the Libyan Minister of Economy, Nasir Shaghlan, and Finance Minister Abubaker Ghafal and on the Italian side the representatives of CDP-Sace, Confindustria, Unicredit, FSI, and Leonardo. Every panel will be provided with simultaneous interpretation in Italian and Arabic.
On Friday 7 June, there was a press conference ahead of the Forum at 11:00 a.m. at the Prefettura of Agrigento. In the evening, in Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, there will be a signing ceremony of the Italo-Libyan Joint Statement on relaunching economic cooperation.
After the signing, a dinner will be held at the Villa Athena Hotel in Agrigento, which will be attended by representatives of the Italian entrepreneurial world and members of the Italian and Libyan ministerial delegations.
The Forum will be held at the Dioscuri Bay Palace Hotel di San Leone, in Agrigento.
