Construction will begin in the spring of 2021

Italy to implement coastal motorway project in Libya

photo_camera PHOTO/HAZEM TURKIA - Libyan National Accord Government Militias

The construction of Libya's coastal highway from the border with Tunisia to the border with Egypt will begin in the spring of 2021, the Tripoli-based Libyan Foreign Ministry announced. 

The motorway will be financed by the Italian government and built by transalpine companies. Italy will pay for the project according to the 2008 agreement signed between the overthrown Muammar al-Qadhafi and the former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi as part of the compensation for the colonial era.

It should be noted that since 2011, after the fall of Gaddafi, there have been several similar announcements without various initiatives having been carried out in practice, mainly due to the lack of security in Libya because of the civil war raging in the country, which has been confronting the National Accord Government, based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, which receives military support from Turkey and financial support from Qatar, and which has the well-known backing of Italy, against the other rival side represented by the other eastern Tobruk executive associated with Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia. 

The war in the North African country had become a game of foreign interests on the part of nations interested in Libya's geostrategic position and oil resources. Although recently important meetings were held between the opposing Libyan parties in Morocco, Switzerland, Egypt and Libya itself in order to reach an agreement, major progress was made by the political and military representatives of both factions, leading to understanding on political and even economic matters; this has enabled certain important activities, such as energy and infrastructures, to be revived. 

The latest announcement regarding the construction of the coastal motorway came after the first virtual meeting of the Libyan-Italian Joint Technical Committee for Economic Cooperation was held. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tripoli attached great importance to the project to facilitate mobility and commercial traffic between the west and east of the country. 

The Committee also discussed during the meeting the efforts to solve the problem of debts to Italian companies by the Libyan State and the possibility of resuming flights between the two countries in order to improve bilateral relations.

The two sides discussed in depth mutual cooperation, with the participation of officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Transport, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Environment, Education, Justice and Energy of both nations. This shows the good harmony between the Tripolitanian government and its partner in Rome. 

The motorway project is divided into four parts. The 963 million euro contract for the 400 km stretch from Musaid to Marj was awarded in 2013 to a consortium led by the Salini Impregilo Group. It was reported that the designs for the Misrata-Ras Jedir sector were complete and a tender was being prepared for the construction works. Italy had insisted that adequate security plans should be put in place before Italian companies could return to work in Libya, as confirmed by the Libya Herald. 

Under the terms of the 2008 Italy-Libya pact, an Italian investment worth 5 billion euros in Libyan infrastructure was planned as compensation for the colonial period, with the main construction contracts going to Italian companies only under this agreement.

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