Tunis Hosts Mediterranean Conference to Support Sustainable Development in Libya

Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)
Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)
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Tunis Hosts Mediterranean Conference to Support Sustainable Development in Libya

Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)
Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)

An international conference on sustainable development in Libya kicked off Monday in the Tunisian capital with the participation of experts from Mediterranean countries, France and Malaysia.

The three-day conference is expected to discuss the importance of the private sector to achieve the goals of sustainable development 2030, a member of the High Commission for Sustainable Development at the Libyan National Planning Council, Yaseen Abu Saryoul, told the Tunisian news agency.

“This conference is the first of its kind, and it discusses the role of the private sector in achieving sustainable development goals in Tunisia and Libya. It also addresses significant topics, such as the importance of applied scientific research, and organizing working sessions between the private sector and the public sector, as well as a forum for young entrepreneurs,” he said.

Abu Saryoul noted that the conference also highlights the role of the private sector in innovative projects, and digital transformation programs through effective communication with experts, academics, and public sector institutions.

The International Mediterranean Conference on the Role of the Private Sector in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Libya was initiated by the Libyan National Planning Council with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

It is attended by experts from the universities of Sebha in Libya and Al Munstir in Tunisia, in addition to a number of ministry representatives and the Libyan Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

Analysts expect the conference to assist Libya in reconstruction efforts, almost 10 years since the uprising that ousted long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Among other things, the conference will discuss the private sector and sustainable development, the dimensions of sustainable development, the private sector and investment in information networks and communications, the applicable mechanisms of enhancing inter-trade, the legislative reform and finally the investment by the private sector on green energy.



Italy’s Meloni: Recognizing Palestinian State Before It Is Established May Be ‘Counterproductive’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with the Algerian president at the end of an Italy-Algeria intergovernmental summit in Rome, Italy, 23 July 2025. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with the Algerian president at the end of an Italy-Algeria intergovernmental summit in Rome, Italy, 23 July 2025. (EPA)
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Italy’s Meloni: Recognizing Palestinian State Before It Is Established May Be ‘Counterproductive’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with the Algerian president at the end of an Italy-Algeria intergovernmental summit in Rome, Italy, 23 July 2025. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with the Algerian president at the end of an Italy-Algeria intergovernmental summit in Rome, Italy, 23 July 2025. (EPA)

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognizing the State of Palestine before it is established could be counterproductive.

"I am very much in favor of the State of Palestine, but I am not in favor of recognizing it prior to establishing it," Meloni told Italian daily La Repubblica.

"If something that doesn't exist is recognized on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn't," she added.

France's decision to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September drew condemnation from Israel and the United States, amid the war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

On Friday, Italy's foreign minister said recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with recognition of Israel by the new Palestinian entity.

A German government spokesperson said on Friday that Berlin was not planning to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term and said its priority now is to make "long-overdue progress" towards a two-state solution.