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Books on Libya
REPUBLICAN REFERENCE
Area (sq.km)
1,759,540
Population
5,499,074
Capital
Tripoli
Currency
Libyan dinar
Leader
Col Mu'amar al-Qadhafi
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Update No: 037 - (04/12/06)
Libya a Strategic Partner in Controlling
Illegal Immigration, while Italian-Libyan Relations Strengthen
Apart from the trial of the Bulgarian nurses over an alleged plot to infect
babies with HIV at a Benghazi hospital, for which a verdict - barring further
delays - is expected on December 19, one of the remaining issues of contention
between Europe and Libya is illegal immigration. As for the trial, Bulgarian
Interior Minister Rumen Petkov met with Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi in
Tripoli on Wednesday (November 22nd) and visited five Bulgarian nurses in
prison. Petkov brought medicine and books to the nurses and briefed them on
Sofia's efforts to resolve the long-standing case.
In November, the seeds of a more programmatic approach to the problem were sown,
as the subject of illegal migration was at the centre of a Euro-African
conference in Tripoli between 37 European countries, the 53 countries of the
African Union and Morocco. The conference was organized by Italy, one of the
main destinations for illegal migrants from Africa, and Libya. At the meeting in
Bab-el-Aziziya (a fortress sometimes known as the official residence of the
Libyan leader), Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi delivered a speech in which he presented
migration as an important and necessary phenomenon, thanks to which the Europe
and the United States were born, while also making due 'dependency theory'
criticisms of the role of European colonialism. However, the ultimate theme of
the speech, which suggests his country's willingness to work with Europe to
reduce its impact, is that immigration is a phenomenon that should be
controlled, even if it is not possible to stop it altogether. This is a rather
different message to those attributed to Qadhafi, to the effect that through
migration Europe will become 'Africanized' and that migration was some sort of
weapon to exact revenge on Europe. While the summit did not break new ground in
the approach to immigration, which all countries agree is a resource and that
illegal immigration is the problem to be confronted, the meeting highlighted a
new political process between North and South.
Indeed, the summit featured a reversal of most Euro-African summits, as in this
case it is Europe that is asking for Africa's help. Italian minister Amato, also
gave a statement, which highlights the growing strategic importance of Libya to
Europe, beyond its oil and gas resources: "Libya no longer supports
terrorism and fights fundamentalism at the ideological and cultural level."
If France and Spain are relying on Morocco as a strategic partner in the
southern Mediterranean, Italy is starting to promote Libya as a more credible
one, as far as immigration controls are concerned. The EU commissioner, Franco
Frattini, has proposed to manage legal immigration quotas established by member
states as well as the creation of a Euro-African Fund made up by funds from
European countries as well as private ones. While, the form and scope of such a
fund, already discussed last summer at a previous meeting in Rabat, have not
been defined yet, African countries have been very receptive. However, European
Commissioner for Development Louis Michel said the Europeans were not yet ready
to contribute to such a fund. He proposed a 40m-euro fund to manage African
migration to Europe. He said the fund could be used to lower the cost for
Africans sending money earned in Europe back home and set up a network of
migration offices to match demand for jobs, with supply of workers. Both Libya
and Morocco have called on the EU to ensure that tighter border controls are
complemented by development projects in African states. Libya has agreed to
cooperate further in curbing illegal immigration on two conditions. The first is
that the task of patrolling the Libyan coast must be made in conjunction with a
control of the desert borders to be paid by the EU. The second is that the sea
patrol, so called Frontex, be assigned to Italy and Malta with direct
collaboration from Libya. Italy has agreed to supply some patrol vehicles and
appropriate training according to an existing model financed by the EU
"Across Sahara."
The meeting in Tripoli also served as an opportunity to cement Italian - Libyan
relations further, after the notorious problems caused last march when a
minister, Calderoli, from the Berlusconi government wore a shirt emblazoned with
the infamous Muhammad caricatures that served as the alleged spark to a riot in
Benghazi. The Italian foreign affairs minister D'Alema noted that there may be
some merit in Libya's request for a new highway from the Tunisian to the
Egyptian border as part of a series of reparations from its colonial rule in the
first half of the 20th century. The Libyan minister of foreign affairs, Abdul-Rahman
Shalgham said that 2007 will mark an historic turn for Italian-Libyan relations.
Italian ministers met Col. Qadhafi separately on the margins of the EU
conference with the scope to increase ties at the cultural, scientific as well
as economic level. One of the main themes of the new cooperation is how to alter
Libya's economy, one that relies on oil almost exclusively for survival, to one
that is also able to find new opportunities. The dilemma is that Libya has the
capital but not the expertise or know-how. It is expected that the closer ties
between Libya and Italy will deal with such issues, with at least the same
intensity as the control of illegal migration.
OIL SECTOR DEVELOPMENTS
Taiwan's Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) will be among the bidders for an oil
exploration project in Libya at the next round, having decided to move ahead
with investment in Libya. CPC has until December 3 to submit its bid to
participate in Libya's forthcoming third international licensing round. CPC had
already looked at the possibility of investing in Libya in 2004, but less than
expected results in oil exploration projects off Taiwan's coast, in the US,
Venezuela, Ecuador, Australia and Chad have produced few results. The company
hopes that Libya will yield better results. If there were any fears that
possible investment from a Taiwanese company may damage relations with Beijing,
it should be noted that CPC already works participates in a joint-venture with
Beijing-based China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) in waters between Taiwan
and China, the first state-owned oil producers from the two political rivals to
participate in a joint venture. They have an agreement to drill three
exploration wells to find new sources of oil and gas as the cost of energy
imports soars.
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