Italy's PM Visits Libya for Talks on Energy, Migration

 Italy´s prime minister arrived in Libya on Saturday for talks with officials from the country´s west-based government that will focus on energy and migration, top issues for Italy and the European Union.

Libya is the third North African country that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has visited over the last two weeks as she seeks to secure new supplies of natural gas to replace Russian energy amid Moscow's war on Ukraine. She previously visited Tunisia and earlier this week Algeria, Italy´s main supplier of natural gas, where she signed several memorandums.

Meloni landed at the Mitiga airport, the only functioning airport in Libya's capital, Tripoli, amid tight security and accompanied by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, her office said. She then met with Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, who heads one of Libya´s rival administrations, and was also to hold talks Mohamed Younis Menfi, who chairs Libya's ceremonial presidential council.

Meloni was greeted at the airport by Najla Mangoush, the foreign minister of the Tripoli-based government. She got a bouquet of flowers and shook hands with a child.

During her visit, Italy´s state-run energy company, Eni, is expected to sign a $8 billion deal to develop two Libyan offshore gas fields to pump 850 million cubic feet per day, Farhat Bengdara, head of Libya´s National Oil Corporation, told a local television station earlier this week.

Eni declined to comment on his remarks. The Italian firm has continued to operate in Libya despite ongoing security issues, producing gas mostly for the domestic market.