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The Italian premier has made the Mattei plan central to her foreign policy since taking office in 2022. ROME: Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni called for a new partnership with Africa today, unveiling a long-awaited plan aimed at boosting economic ties, creating an energy hub for Europe, and curbing immigration. “We believe it is possible to envision and write a new chapter in the history of our relationship, a cooperation among equals, far from any predatory imposition or charitable stance towards Africa,” Meloni said in an opening speech. This is our plan for Africa,” von der Leyen told today’s gathering, referring to an infrastructure project unveiled in 2021. Energy needsMeloni has made the Mattei plan a central plank of her foreign policy since taking office in late 2022.

Forum for Innovation and Digital Transformation in Financial Services, hosted by the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), was convened in Tripoli today. Saddek Elkaber, CBL governor, underscored during his opening address that this forum “represents an opportunity for private sector companies to benefit from the [CBL’s] Financial Technology and Innovation Unit, as it will provide solutions that better meet customer needs,” according to a statement by the CBL. Elkaber stressed that the CBL “supports the Know Your Customer (EKYC) initiatives, Instant Payment, and the Open Banking initiative by establishing a financial technology laboratory (Sandbox) that aims to bring about change by experimenting with modern technologies, advanced and innovative ideas.”

The Ministry of Water Resources of Libya invites eligible consulting firms to indicate their interest in providing assistance services for the water sector assessment (including recommendations), Environmental and Social System Assessment, elaboration of training, and information and preparation of the Water Strategy Forum. DEADLINE: 12 February 2024The Strengthening the Regulatory, Legislative and Strategic Water Framework Project aims to assess and improve the regulatory, legal, institutional, and strategic water sector framework that will strengthen the control and sustainable management of diminishing water resources, particularly scarce groundwater resources. The mission of this Technical Assistance (TA) consists of:Assessment of the current strategic framework and revision of the water strategy, legal and regularity and institutional framework of the MOWR. The firm has at least 5 years’ experience in providing consulting services to IFIs, MDBs, bilateral development agencies, and governments in relation to public service reforms, water sector-related services, institutional capacity development services, and any other public service development-related consulting services. Ministry of Water Resources – State of LibyaProject Management Unit (PMU)Executing entity: Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR)Address Tripoli –LibyaMr. MOKHTAR F. Radi SALEM, Project Coordinator,Email: mokhtarfitoriradi@gmail.com, and copy afafgassem@gmail.comTel: +218 922249953 or +218 912504789

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh is in Rome today to take part in the Italy-Africa summit, which aimed at illustrating Italy’s big development plan for the continent. Upon his arrival yesterday, Dbeibeh was received by Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. In addition to Dbeibeh, two dozen African leaders, top European Union and United Nations officials and representatives from international lending institutions are in Rome for the summit, the first major event of Italy’s Group of Seven presidency. “The basis of the Mattei Plan is a new approach — non-predatory, non-paternalistic but also not charitable,” Meloni told state-run RAI station. Alongside the Mattei Plan, Meloni’s government has forged controversial deals with individual countries to try to mitigate the migration burden on Italy.

The Libyan Business Council (LBC) reported today that a delegation had successfully completed a visit to the 2024 World of Concrete (WoC) Tradeshow in Las Vegas, USA from 23 to 25 January. The visit was coordinated in cooperation between the American Chamber of Commerce Libya (AmCham Libya) and the LBC, for a period of three days. The LBC reported that the visit provided the delegation of businessmen with fruitful opportunities, enabled the delegation members to learn about the latest technologies and innovations in this field, and supported communication relations with leading companies in industry and construction. AmCham Libya leading Libyan delegation to 2024 World of Concrete Tradeshow in Las Vegas, 23-25 January (libyaherald.com)AmCham-organised and U.S. Department of Commerce supported Libyan trade delegation to the U.S. was ground-breaking and a benchmark (libyaherald.com)40-member Tripoli Chamber delegation returns from World of Concrete expo in Las Vegas, USA (libyaherald.com)Tripoli Chamber discussing leading delegation to WOC show in Las Vegas, USA in January (libyaherald.com)

Turkey has problems in the Black Sea from the Ukraine-Russia war. Turkey and other NATO nations control most of the Black Sea coastline, especially the southern and western Black Sea coasts. In 2024 Turkey agreed to cooperate with NATO allies Bulgaria and Romania, which also border the Black Sea, to clear the Russian mines in the Black Sea. Turkey will not allow mine clearing vessels from any other nation to enter the Black Sea to assist. Turkish troops in Libya and naval forces off the coast prevent the Libyans from sabotaging Turkish economic projects in Libya.

The Attorney General’s Office announced last Wednesday (24 January) that the investigative authorities had thwarted the attempt to seize LD 25 million from the National Commercial Bank (NCB) by a conspiring group headed by the NCB’s Internal Audit Officer at its Orouba branch in eastern Libya. The investigating authority have initiated a criminal case against the defendants, including an employee authorized to manage the bank branch accounts, an employee at the Central Bank of Libya and a military person. The investigation revealed they were involved in an organized group whose members designed a plan to access the database of the NCB, falsifying bank account data, by including numbers that exceed the actual credit balances, then making financial transfers worth twenty-five million dinars. The discovery of their plans thwarted their criminal efforts. The investigator ordered the pretrial detention of the NCB Audit Official, the bank branch accounts manager, the military person, and is prosecuting the remaining contributors to the incident.

Maltese companies wish to return to resume their activities in Libya to participate in various projects, and banks in Malta are ready to deal with Libyan banks. The sentiment was reported by the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) and reportedly expressed by Charles C. Saliba, Malta’s Ambassador to Libya, during Saliba’s meeting with CBL Governor Saddek El-Kaber last Thursday at the latter’s Tripoli headquarters. The meeting also touched on the latest developments in the process of unifying the CBL.

Japan sees “some recovery in the local security situation in Libya,” Yoko Kamikawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan said during the visit of Vice President of the Libyan Presidential Council Abdalla Al-Lafi to Tokyo last week. During the visit, the two agreed to work to strengthen Japanese-Libyan relations, including economic cooperation. Kamikawa expressed Japan’s support for stability in Libya. It will be recalled that on 16 January, the Japanese Embassy in Libya announced the reopening of its office in Tripoli. In the short term, the embassy will return to work with a limited number of personnel and activities.

Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Governor, Saddek El-Kaber, met in his Tripoli headquarters today with National Oil Corporation (NOC) chairman, Farhat Bengdara. GECOL’s increased fuel subsidies in terms of the subsidised fuel that GECOL receives is a function of the success in generating more electricity. But solving Libya’s previous power generation deficit has created a huge fuel subsidies bill. This would expose the true value of fuel subsidies and awaken the Libyan public to the real cost of fuel subsidies – and failure to pay their electricity bills. This is the reference to ”the (CBL’s) support for the National Oil Corporation to raise oil and gas production according to the plans drawn up by the Corporation.

CAIRO – 28 January 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry received Sunday his Saudi counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan at Al Tahrir Palace to discuss regional and international developments, especially in Gaza Strip. The two ministers held later a joint press conference where Minister Shokry underscored the salience of an immediate ceasefire, lifting the siege of Gaza Strip, and halting the collective punishment practices and forced displacement of Palestinians. Regarding Houthi attacks on vessels in Bab Al Mandab Strait, the Egyptian minister said that the root cause was the Gaza War. On another front, Minister Shokry stated that Ethiopia did not abide by what had been agreed upon regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), urging the need for a legally binding agreement on the dam's filling and operation. He added that the current dispute had also been discussed with his Saudi counterpart.

The Libyan Red Crescent announced today that it recovered a dead body on the seashore of Sabratah, located 70 km west of Tripoli. The Red Crescent said locals reported the body’s location, and the Libyan NGO coordinated with the police in Sabratha to retrieve the body and transfer it to the hospital to complete the legal procedures.

Ghana’s Medeama striker, Jonathan Sowah, previously associated with Yanga in the last transfer window, has joined Al Nasr SC Benghazi in the Libyan Premier League on a three-year contract. Sowah, who impressed many football fanatics during the group stage matches of the CAF Champions League this season, caught the attention of Yanga, particularly with his performance against them, including a penalty goal. Despite being associated with the Tanzanian champions, Jonathan Sowah has now sealed a lucrative deal with Al Nasr SC Benghazi after successful negotiations between the two teams, ruling out any possibility of joining Yanga even at the end of the season. The 25-year-old forward, known for his prolific goal-scoring record, has netted 19 goals in 35 matches since the previous season, including seven goals in 15 Ghana Premier League matches this season. Sowah made his competitive debut for the Black Stars during the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Comoros, ending in a 1-0 defeat.

“The European Commission wants to put its finger in every pie,” he tells me. Azzopardi Flores argues the Commission also imposed taxes under the guise of environmental rules with reference to the emissions trading scheme. The European Commission has no remit imposing certain things it dreams of in the morning and decides to push for. And I will resist the European Commission. The problem I see is that the European Commission wants to put its finger in every pie.