Italian ambassador meets Libyan FM on ways to combat illegal migration
NAN-F-19
Immigration
Tripoli, Sept. 14, 2017 (Xinhua/NAN) Italian Ambassador to Libya, Giuseppe Perron, on Thursday met with Libya’s UN-backed Foreign Minister, Mohamed Sayala, in Tripoli on ways to combat illegal migration, Libyan news agency reported.
The two officials discussed mutual cooperation in fighting illegal immigration and training of Libyan coastguards.
Perrone said that the Libyan-Italian cooperation aims at achieving peace in Libya and the Mediterranean.
“The unity government that defeated terrorism in Sirte is fighting another battle against illegal immigrants, which is an Italian-Libyan joint battle that is still going on,” Perrone told reporters after the meeting.
He said that another meeting will take place on Friday in Rome between representatives of foreign and interior ministries and coastguards from both countries on methods to apply in tackling the illegal immigrant challenges and terrorism.
The Italian ambassador on Sunday met with the mayor of the western Libyan city of Sabratha, a major departure point of migrants, and discussed security, illegal immigration, and human trafficking through the Mediterranean.
The turmoil that followed the 2011 uprising caused insecurity and chaos in Libya, which led to massive flows of migrants in the Mediterranean towards Europe.
The International Organisation for Migration estimates that thousands of immigrants have already reached European shores in 2017 so far, while many others have drowned on the way. (Xinhua/NAN)
OYE/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide