Ghaddafi's historical visit to Italy paves way for Libya-EU ties
By Silvia Marchetti
ROME, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi on Wednesday started his first historical visit to Rome. The 3-day visit is set to boost Libya-Italy bilateral relations and pave way for closer cooperation with the European Union (EU) on economic and immigration issues.
Ghaddafi's visit to Rome is the product of 40 years of hard-spun diplomatic negotiations. It follows the signature in August 2008 of the Treaty on Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation between Italy and Libya which officially put an end to the long-lasting colonial dispute by granting material compensation to Libya and launching a strategic economic and anti-immigration partnership.
Upon arrival, Ghaddafi met with the Italian head of state Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"A painful chapter of history is finally over," Berlusconi said when he welcomed Ghaddafi at the airport, according to local news agencies.
Napolitano said that "this historical visit paves the way to stronger bilateral ties between Italy and Libya."
Berlusconi and Ghaddafi signed important bilateral agreements to boost economic, scientific and technical cooperation in sea resources, develop student exchange programs and implement special fiscal measures for companies' investments.
"Berlusconi is a man of great courage, he has taken the historic decision to apologize for Italy's colonialist damage to Libya and he is the only Western leader to have done so. This is why I am here today in Rome," Ghaddafi told reporters at a joint press conference.
"An era has closed and a new one begins, the merit goes to premier Berlusconi. Italy is now our friend and Libya is open to all Italian companies wanting to do business," Ghaddafi added.
Berlusconi, remembering the "suffering of the Libyan people," said the strategic partnership is the product of many years of hard work done by his predecessors. "I am very happy that there are no more contrasts between our countries," he added.
Ghaddafi said he will push the UN General Assembly to assign a permanent seat to Italy. "Italy has defeated Fascism and deserves it more than many other countries."
Ghaddafi added as well that he will present to the UN refugee agency a strategic document for the fight against sea piracy in Somalia.
On Thursday Ghaddafi will give a speech at the Italian Senate and at La Sapienza state university, while he will meet on Friday with the Italian association of entrepreneurs and a delegation of 700 women.
According to Arturo Varvelli, researcher at the Milan-based ISPI institute of international politics and author of Italy and the rise of Ghaddafi, "the Libyan leader's trip to Rome will pave way for greater Libya-EU relations, especially in the fight against illegal immigration."
continua...
Informazioni personali
- Arturo Varvelli
- Ricercatore dell'ISPI. Laurea in Scienze Politiche alla Statale di Milano, Corso di specializzazione in Scienze internazionali organizzato dall’Istituto Universitario di Studi Europei (IUSE) e dal Training Center ILO-ONU di Torino. Dottorato di ricerca in Storia Internazionale nel 2006, con una tesi sulle relazioni italo-libiche. Dal 2003 al 2006 assistente universitario in Storia delle Relazioni Internazionali e in Storia dell’Integrazione Europea presso le rispettive cattedre dell’Università di Milano. Oggi di Cultura giornalistica e ancora relazioni internazionali in Statale. Nel 2006 titolare di assegno di ricerca presso la Fondazione CRT di Torino – Progetto Alfieri. Ho tenuto le esercitazioni di Storia delle Relazioni presso il Master in Studi Strategici del Centro Alti Studi della Difesa (CASD) di Roma. Dal 2007 caporedattore dell’agenzia stampa News Italia Press. Autore di numerosi studi e saggi, tra i quali "L'Italia e l'ascesa di Gheddafi" (Baldini Castoldi Dalai 2009) e "Libia: fine o rinascita di una nazione?" (Donzelli ed. 2012, con Karim Mezran). Collaboro con diversi quotidiani tra cui Linkiesta.