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.
It was first proposed by Minister Alfano while on a visit to Tripoli on 6 May and promptly seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Maiteeg. The event will focus on starting an in-depth discussion, shared by the private sector, 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.
The minister said: “Historically Libya has always been a special partner for Italy, from the economic point of view as well as from the political and security standpoint. The Italian government is determined to stabilise 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.
Minister Alfano illustrated the goals of the fourm by stating: “The Italian government wants to strengthen its friendship and cooperation ties with Libya in areas of social and economic development. In particular it is determined to contribute to the reconstruction of Libya. We want to consolidate further our bilateral partnership, which is based on economic, infrastructure and energy cooperation, as well as enhancing economic and trade cooperation activities in both countries.”
The agenda 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 Fourm will continue in four sequential sector panels that will focus on: prospects for international investments in Libya; Energy and Networks; Financial Setting and credits of Italian companies and Infrastructure.
Distinguished panelists will include, 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 session will be provided with simultaneous interpretation in Italian and Arabic.
On Friday 7 June, there will be a press conference ahead of the Forum at 11:00 a.m. at the Prefettura of Agrigento. At 7:00 p.m., in Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, there will be a signing ceremony of the Italo-Libyan Joint Statement on relaunching economic cooperation.
Following 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.
