Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Tripoli on Saturday to conclude an $8 billion gas deal aimed at boosting energy supplies to Europe despite the insecurity and political chaos in the North African country. Meloni met Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, before the energy deal was signed for talks that also focused on migration across the Mediterranean. Signing the deal, Libya's National Oil Corp (NOC) chief Farhat Bengdara and the head of Italy's Eni, Claudio Descalzi, said they will invest $8 billion in gas development, as well as in solar power and carbon capture. Dbeibah and Meloni said they had also discussed the issue of illegal migration from Libya to Italy. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees much of the migration issue for Rome, flew to Libya with Meloni.

Source: Libya Today January 28, 2023 19:12 UTC