Italy renews friendship pact with Libya to block migrants

Italy and Libya agreed on 7 July to reactivate a 2008 friendship treaty, which allowed migrants to be returned to Libyan territory.

“We agreed to reactivate the 2008 Italian-Libyan friendship treaty,” said Libya’s foreign minister Mohamad Sayala during a joint press conference in Tripoli with his Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanesi.

“The Italian foreign minister’s visit today to Tripoli comes in light of the distinguished relations between the two countries and the exchange of visits,” Sayala said.

Sayala added that “the Italian minister discussed with Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj prospects for mutual cooperation and assistance in Libya’s security and stability.”

Italian foreign minister Milanesi said the agreement, which followed month-long talks, is “significant and promising,” adding that he would “like to say this visit is the start of more intensive cooperation that we intend to have with the Libyan government.”

During the joint press conference between the two diplomats, Milanesi also touted what he sees as the importance of the deal “for us, peace and stability in Libya is an essential element for equilibrium in the region, in the Mediterranean, and therefore our own direct interest and the European Union.”

The original treaty, which was suspended in February 2011 because of the instability that followed the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was signed in 2008. Libya was promised 4.2 billion euros of Italian investment as compensation for colonization and in exchange for stopping migrants from embarking for Europe from its shores. The treaty also involves arrangements for receiving those sent back.

The agreement means that “all the conditions are in place to work hand in hand to support stabilisation … (of) Libya’s security and unity”, Milanesi said.

Libya “shares with the European Union the responsibility and the duty to deal with migrants… Co-operation between Libya, Italy and the EU is essential to resolve the immigration question and avoid human tragedies,” he added.

The day after Italy reactivated its ‘friendship treaty’ with Libya, President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani called for a “blacklist” of migrant smugglers to be set up to help stem the flow of migrants from Africa to Europe.

“We have to establish a blacklist of the major traffickers… so that police and law enforcement in Africa and in Europe can work together on a common objective,” Tajani said after meeting Libyan Prime Minister Sarraj in Tripoli.

“If we do not manage to destroy these criminal organisations, it will be very difficult to fight against illegal immigration,” Tajani added.

TMP – 08/08/2018

Photo caption: Italian foreign minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi