Flights between Italy and Libya resume after break of more than 10 years
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Italian airline Alitalia has resumed direct flights between Rome and Tripoli after a break of more than 10 years, in a move that reflects the significant improvement in security and logistical conditions in Libya.
The first flight was welcomed on Sunday at Maitigua international airport, in the eastern suburbs of Tripoli, by the Libyan Transport minister, Mohamed al-Chahoubi, who described it as a step in strengthening bilateral relations between Libya and Italy, a statement issued by the Libyan government said.
The minister stressed that the resumption of Italian flights is part of ongoing efforts to reopen Libyan airports and link them to international destinations, noting the resumption of a number of other airlines.
This step is a positive indicator of the success of the government's efforts to improve the civil aviation sector and boost the confidence of international airlines, the minister said, adding that this paves the way for new economic and investment opportunities and helps to reconnect Libya with the world.
On Sunday in Tripoli, the acting Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister also received the Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riccardo Guariglia, who participated in the ceremony.
During the meeting, the two parties discussed ways of strengthening and developing relations in various fields, according to a press release from the ministry.
The Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed his government's desire to strengthen and develop bilateral relations underlining the importance of Libya for Italy as a partner with which it maintains strategic political and economic relations.
The meeting was attended by the Director of the Department of European Affairs, Hatem Abdelwahid, the person in charge of Italian affairs, Aboubaker al-Tawil, the Italian Ambassador to Libya, Gianluca Alberti, and his deputy, Mrs Riccardovella.
Meanwhile, the Libyan ambassador to Italy, Mohannad Younis, took part on Sunday in the ceremony organised by the Italian airline, ITA Airways, at Fiumicino international airport in Italy, to mark the resumption of its direct flights to Tripoli, where the first flight took off after an interruption that lasted more than a contract.
The ceremony was attended by many Italian officials, including the Mayor of Fiumicino, Mario Pacchini, the Chairman of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, Pierluigi Di Palma, the Authority's Deputy Director General, Fabio Nicolai, the Deputy Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the Italian Council of Ministers, Pietro Sfera Carini, as well as a number of senior officials from ITA Airways and Rome's airports.
This event is an important step towards strengthening cooperation between Libya and Italy in the field of civil aviation and opening up new horizons for commercial, economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA/MA 13Jan2024
