The Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi said that they are working on preparing a mission to Libya, to assume the migration file.
Piantedosi told reporters on Wednesday, that “today I had a preliminary conversation and good dialogue with my Swedish counterpart, whose country holds the rotating Presidency of the European Union. The discussions are increasingly moving towards sharing a greater degree of realism, and adopting an action plan that could be more effective in strengthening the external dimension of the European Union’s work on migration issues. The rotating European Presidency has expressed its hope that its mandate will produce tangible results regarding the action plan for North Africa.”
On Tuesday, Libya’s Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush received the Italian Ambassador to Libya, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi. The meeting discussed the logistical preparations for the visit of a high-level delegation, headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Libya.
Meloni is set to visit Libya on Saturday, 28 January along with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, and Piantedosi, according to the Italian news agency, Nova.
During her visit, the Italian Prime Minister will hold talks with senior Libyan officials, including her counterpart, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba. In addition to witnessing the signing of an agreement worth eight billion dollars between Italian energy giant, ENI and Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC).
Libya is a major departure point for people seeking to cross the Mediterranean, given its proximity to Italy and its own porous borders. However, immersed since 2011 in its own conflict, and with much of the country controlled by armed militias, Libya has become dangerous for migrants and refugees.
Last week, Tajani said that resolving the problems of illegal immigration and energy in Europe, is linked to resolving the crisis in Libya.
Nova quoted Tajani stressing “the need to reach a solution to the election crisis in Libya.” He noted that this could be achieved by reaching an agreement between the Libyan “overlapping” parties.
Notably, an Italian Coast Guard official has stated that 53,000 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, from Libya in 2022. This is an increase of 70% compared to 2021, according to the AKI news agency.
