Libya, Italy sign agreements to enhance cooperation

TRIPOLI, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- A visiting Italian delegation headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday signed agreements on enhancing cooperation in various fields with Libya in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah told a joint press conference along with Meloni that they discussed increasing cooperation in the fields of energy, economy, border control and combating illegal immigration, as well as coordination of political positions between the two countries.

The foreign ministers of the two states also signed a memorandum of understanding, under which Italy will provide Libya with five fully equipped ships to be used for search and rescue operations, Dbeibah said.

Italian energy company Eni and Libyan National Oil Corporation agreed on the development of Structures A&E, a strategic project aimed at increasing gas production to supply the Libyan domestic market and ensure gas export to Europe, Eni said in a statement.

"The combined gas production from the two structures will start in 2026 and reach a plateau of 750 million standard gas cubic feet per day," the statement said.