Dbeibeh, Mechichi Discuss Economic Cooperation, Libya's Reconstruction

The Libyan Prime Minister during the meeting with his Tunisian counterpart in Tripoli on Saturday, May 22, 2021 (Libyan government’s media office)
The Libyan Prime Minister during the meeting with his Tunisian counterpart in Tripoli on Saturday, May 22, 2021 (Libyan government’s media office)
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Dbeibeh, Mechichi Discuss Economic Cooperation, Libya's Reconstruction

The Libyan Prime Minister during the meeting with his Tunisian counterpart in Tripoli on Saturday, May 22, 2021 (Libyan government’s media office)
The Libyan Prime Minister during the meeting with his Tunisian counterpart in Tripoli on Saturday, May 22, 2021 (Libyan government’s media office)

Tunisia’s Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi arrived in Tripoli on Saturday on an official two-day business visit.

Head of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibeh received Mechichi and his accompanying delegation, which included several government ministers and around 100 business leaders who are expected to take part in a joint economic forum in Tripoli.

Officials from both countries are scheduled to discuss means of bolstering bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, investment, and commercial fields, in addition to Libya's reconstruction, the Libyan News Agency reported.

Tunisia pins high hopes on stability in Libya to revive its economy, sources said.

Mechichi pointed out that the Libyan market “is a promising strategic market for Tunisia,” especially after the progress in Libya’s political situation.

“Tunis will play a major role in Libya’s reconstruction and in keeping pace with its economic and developmental boom, in light of important factors and a common will that would help serve both countries’ economies,” Tunisian media quoted Mechichi as saying.

According to an official Tunisian statement, the visit aims to strengthen and push forward available means of cooperation at more than one level.

Mechichi will attend the launch of the Libyan-Tunisian Forum and Exhibition, in which more than 150 Tunisian economic institutions will take part, in an attempt to bolster bilateral partnership in the field of reconstruction.

Informed Tunisian sources said both sides are expected to assess the primary stages for the Tunisian-Libyan Supreme Committee.

The visit’s program also includes launching the Tunisian-Libyan air route, as well as inaugurating the Tunisian-Libyan exhibition in Tripoli.

Almost 1,000 Tunisian investors and businessmen are expected to participate in this exhibition, which presents several vital areas, such as construction, industrial products, trade, services, and the banking sector.



Beirut Soup Kitchen Struggles to Keep Up as Israeli Strikes Intensify

Volunteers at non-profit organization 'Nation Station', prepare meals to be distributed for people who were displaced due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut, Lebanon September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Volunteers at non-profit organization 'Nation Station', prepare meals to be distributed for people who were displaced due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut, Lebanon September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Beirut Soup Kitchen Struggles to Keep Up as Israeli Strikes Intensify

Volunteers at non-profit organization 'Nation Station', prepare meals to be distributed for people who were displaced due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut, Lebanon September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Volunteers at non-profit organization 'Nation Station', prepare meals to be distributed for people who were displaced due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut, Lebanon September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Chains of volunteers spoon rice and vegetables into meal containers while others stir huge pots of boiling rice, as a soup kitchen in Beirut struggles to keep up with demand from displaced people escaping Israeli strikes.
Josephine Abu Abdo, a chef and one of the founders of Nation Station, said the kitchen is serving 700 meals a day and is at maximum capacity, but she then hears 1,000 meals are needed.
"The challenge is that we can't keep up. We feel like we are just a drop in the ocean," Abu Abdo said, while a team of volunteers of different ages from all over Lebanon hurriedly packaged up food.
Nation Station was founded to help victims of the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion, growing from a team of five to a hundred over time. It serves some traditional Lebanese dishes, such as zucchini stuffed with rice and meat, bulgur and tomato, vegetable soup and cabbage salad, reported Reuters.
When the Israeli strikes across Lebanon intensified on Monday, forcing around 40,000 into shelters within days, the volunteers cooked more food without any funding, distributing it as an emergency response to the centers housing the displaced.
"We worked from the small savings that we had for the first three days. Then, many people started donating," Abu Abdo said.
"The donation that we receive will cover us for two or three days. We will see, one day at a time and we will make a decision," she added.
Israeli attacks have killed more than 600 people in Lebanon since Monday, with the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah at its most intense in more than 18 years.
Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel for almost a year in support of its ally Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border have fled their homes and Israel has declared the safe return of its residents as one of its war aims.
"We are all trying our hardest to make a little bit of a difference and to help out. It's like the least we can do and unfortunately we are used to this," May Ayash, a professional chef who volunteers at the kitchen said.