Investment and maritime services top agenda in Libya visit

On the margins of the business delegation to Libya, organised by Malta Enterprise with a specific focus on the maritime and port sectors, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech Minister and Minister for Fair Competition, Small Businesses and Consumers Jason Azzopardi yesterday met Yousef Al Wehishi, Minister of Communications and Transport, Rajab Khalil, the deputy Minister of the Economy and the chairman of the General Board for Investment, and industry minister Mahmoud Al Fteisi.

Fenech expressed Malta's appreciation that Libya had taken the democratic path, opening the way for "a renewed relationship" through which Libya and Malta can derive mutual benefit.

During these meetings, Maltese and Libyan counterparts discussed areas of possible mutual cooperation in different industrial and economic sectors. Fenech pointed to the increase in flights between Malta and Libya, where Air Malta will add a sixth weekly flight between Malta and Tripoli from later this week and another weekly flight from May.

Fenech also offered Malta's assistance on capacity building in a number of sectors, which are critical to the economic development of Libya, including in the civil aviation sector.

Jason Azzopardi also offered Malta's aid to develop and strengthen both the Libyan co-operatives and businesses.

Fenech is leading a delegation of 24 companies all involved in ports and maritime services. The companies represent the main players in the maritime sector in Malta and they are involved in varied activities such as ship repair, marine engineering and construction, port services and others.

The delegation is visiting and having meetings in the ports of Homs, Tripoli, Benghazi and Misurata. The scope of the delegation is for these companies to explore how they can participate in the development of the maritime sector.