Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani said that the “influence of the United States in Libya and Africa is weak compared to the rise of China’s influence, and therefore the European Union must take the initiative.”
“I don’t think the United States is an endangered actor, but we should certainly ask the European Union to get more involved on the African continent,” he added.
In his statements to the Italian newspaper, Avvenire, Tajani stressed that Africa “should not become a land of invasion, and that external interference in Libya and other countries has led to a deterioration of security and stability in it,” commenting on the Italian role in the region, according to some media outlets.
“Italian excellence is appreciated and sought after in the world, even when it comes to implementing particularly complex projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), or cooperation in the field of energy. The Italian economic system is strong, and foreign trade is our real driving force for growth,” he added.
The FM indicated that Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni signed a historic deal in Tripoli worth $8 billion dollars, to develop the gas sector, solar energy, and carbon capture projects in Libya with the aim of enhancing energy supplies to Europe.
He noted that Meloni considered Libya “a strategic market for Italian companies, and cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy enhances the Libyan economy.”
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.
