The Director-General of Libyan Customs, Major General Suleiman Ali Salem, and his Turkish counterpart have reached an agreement on implementing the mutual administrative cooperation customs agreement, signed between the two parties in 2014.
The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Turkish Ministry of Trade in Ankara, where delegations from both customs authorities convened.
The Libyan Customs Authority said in a statement that, the two sides “signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at activating the exchange of information. It also aims at enhancing collaborative efforts in conducting training activities to improve the efficiency of customs officers.”
The meeting discussed the crucial role that customs authorities play in facilitating the flow of goods, consumer protection, and bolstering economic security between the two nations.
Notably, the Turkish disaster management agency AFAD said it sent 850 tons of humanitarian aid materials to flood-hit Libya, according to Anadolu Agency.
The agency in a statement said it continues its efforts to heal the wounds of Libyans hit by the 10 September floods. It added that aid supplies sent earlier were delivered via both airplanes and ships, and Sunday’s consignment was loaded from Izmir’s Alsancak Port.
Floodwaters resulting from storm Daniel contributed to significant damage across northeastern Libya, affecting housing, health facilities, water networks, and other infrastructure, according to the UN. At least 4,300 people died, and 43,000 were displaced due to the disaster.
In August, the Turkish Ministry of Defence denied reports suggesting that the Turkish army has rented the Libyan port of Al-Khoms.
In an official statement, the ministry stated that the Libyan authorities had decided to evacuate all civilian elements from the military port of Al-Khoms, on 5 August.
Ankara further clarified that the rumours circulating about the allocation of the military section of the port to the Turkish forces were “baseless, and aimed at creating false narratives.”
“The decision taken by the Libyan authorities regarding the port of Al-Khoms has no connection whatsoever with Turkey or our activities,” the Turkish ministry affirmed. It suggested that these false reports were propagated by third parties with ulterior motives against Turkey.