Giorgia Meloni visit Tripoli as Libya

Italy’s prime minister held talks in Libya with officials from the country’s Tripoli-based government focusing on energy and migration, top issues for Italy and the European Union.

During the visit, the two countries' oil companies signed a gas deal worth $8 billion.

Libya is the second North African country that Premier Giorgia Meloni, three months in office, visited this week. She is seeking to secure new supplies of natural gas to replace Russian energy amid Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Meloni met with Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, who heads one of Libya’s rival administrations, and held talks with Mohamed Younis Menfi, who chairs Libya’s ceremonial presidential council.

At a round-table with Dbeibah, Meloni repeated her remarks from Algeria, saying that while Italy wants to increase its profile in the region, it doesn’t seek a “predatory” role but wants to help African nations “grow and become richer.”

Italian energy giant Eni signed an $8 billion gas deal with Libya's state-run National Oil Corporation as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Tripoli.

"The overall estimated investment will amount to $8 billion, with significant impact on the industry and the associated supply chain, allowing a significant contribution to the Libyan economy."

The agreement was signed in the presence of Meloni and her host Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who heads the UN-brokered Government of National Unity which is contested by a rival administration in the east.