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Italy to Secure Libya’s Southern Border

Migrants ride in a boat after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard off the coast of Gharaboli, east of Tripoli, Libya July 8, 2017. REUTERS
Migrants ride in a boat after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard off the coast of Gharaboli, east of Tripoli, Libya July 8, 2017. REUTERS
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Italy to Secure Libya’s Southern Border

Migrants ride in a boat after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard off the coast of Gharaboli, east of Tripoli, Libya July 8, 2017. REUTERS
Migrants ride in a boat after they were rescued by Libyan coastguard off the coast of Gharaboli, east of Tripoli, Libya July 8, 2017. REUTERS

Italy has revealed a plan to halt illegal migration to Libya by securing its southern border.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Wednesday met with Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese in Libya's capital Tripoli.

Lamorgese said that Rome will intensify its financial commitment to boost rural development to stabilize southern Libya affected by intense migration flows.

The Italian minister confirmed on Friday her country's desire to swiftly develop the project implemented by the Interior Ministry on the southern Libyan border, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration.

Bilateral talks last month between President of the Presidential Council Muhammad Al-Menfi and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune touched on the security cooperation in the south, where insurgent African groups operate.

Ali Amilmedy, who resides in Sabha and works as a lawyer, said that the Libyan south has been oppressed for years. It was deprived of services and witnessed a shortage of liquidity and a scarcity of fuels.

The smuggling of illegal migrants to Europe continues through the Mediterranean.

The Chief of Staff of the Libyan Naval Forces said that up to 96 migrants from diverse African nationalities were rescued on their way to Europe.

In another context, the Minister of Economy and Trade, Mohamed Hwej, met with Egyptian Charge d’Affaires Tamer Moustafa in the presence of Libyan officials from the General Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Department of International Cooperation in the Ministry.

The meeting aims to coordinate the meetings of the Higher Joint Egyptian-Libyan Committee that are scheduled to convene soon.

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Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on an official visit to Baghdad on Sunday to hold discussions with senior Iraqi officials on bilateral ties and regional and international developments.

During this visit, his fourth to Iraq since assuming office in June 2023, Fidan will meet with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, as well as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and President Abdul Latif Rashid.

According to sources within the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agenda will cover key issues related to the growing relationship between the neighboring countries, which has seen significant progress over the past three years, alongside current regional developments.

Sources indicated that Fidan will emphasize his country’s commitment to further strengthening its ties with Iraq based on a positive agenda and an institutional framework. He will stress the activation of various cooperation mechanisms established during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq on April 22, 2024.

Fidan will also underscore Türkiye’s recognition of the importance of maintaining Iraq’s stability and security for the broader region, and its support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to counter the adverse effects of Israeli aggression and developments in Syria on Iraq’s stability.

Fidan is expected to advocate for constructive dialogue and neighborly relations between Baghdad and Syria’s new administration, emphasizing that such an approach would benefit both countries and the wider region.

The minister is also set to convey Türkiye’s expectations that Iraq officially designate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “terrorist organization” and take necessary steps to fully eliminate its presence within Iraqi territory.

On security and counterterrorism cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad, sources stated that Fidan will express satisfaction with the growing understanding between the two countries in these areas. He will highlight Ankara’s approval of Iraq’s official stance on the PKK and its anticipation that Baghdad will declare the party a terrorist organization and eradicate its presence entirely.

Türkiye continues its military operations against PKK militants in northern Iraq. Ankara and Baghdad have agreed to coordinate their efforts against the group through a memorandum of understanding on military and security cooperation and counterterrorism. This agreement was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler and his Iraqi counterpart Thabit Al-Abbasi during the fourth meeting of the High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara last August.

Fidan’s discussions will also address ways to enhance trade relations with Iraq, one of Türkiye’s most important economic partners, with a trade volume of $20 billion. He will call for the removal of artificial barriers to bilateral trade and reaffirm his country’s support for the strategic “Development Road” project, while emphasizing efforts to expedite its implementation.