The Libyan Foreign Minister in the Parliament-designated government, Haffez Gaddour mourned the death of former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who passed away on Monday.
“In this event, we remind ourselves of his noble positions regarding the Libyan-Italian rapprochement, and his great role in developing Libyan-Italian relations. He is the one who decided to apologize to the Libyan people, and compensate them for the Italian colonial era in Libya,” Gaddour tweeted on Monday.
He added that Berlusconi “gave directions as Prime Minister to negotiate with the Libyan side to reach an agreement in the form of a treaty, which was signed in Benghazi on 30 August 2008. This treaty became law in effect in both countries, with ratification later by the legislative authorities in Libya.”
For his part, Libya’s former Foreign Minister, Abdel-Rahman Shalgham paid tribute to the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who passed away today.
He remembered the late Italian Premier as a “dynamic figure who left a substantial imprint on Italy’s political, media, and legal landscapes.”
Shalgham elaborated on Berlusconi’s contributions, noting that Libyan-Italian relations “underwent a remarkable transformation during his leadership of the Italian government.”
A major milestone of this period was the signing of the Friendship Treaty, where Italy agreed to provide reparations to Libyans for its colonial rule. Italy also expressed remorse for the damage endured by Libyans through the years of occupation.
Regarded as a media tycoon in Italy, Berlusconi owned numerous TV channels and newspapers, and was the founder of the influential Forza Italia party.
His significant influence on Italian and Libyan history underscores the powerful role that individuals can play in moulding bilateral relations, and shaping the trajectory of regional politics.
Notably, the former Italian Prime Minister died in Milan at 86, Italian media reported. Berlusconi was born in Milan in 1936, and entered the media world in the early 1970’s before turning to politics in the 90’s.
He was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies and appointed as Prime Minister in the 1994 general elections. His party, Forza Italia, gained a relative majority only three months after the party was launched.