Tripoli, April 8
Malta’s Association of General Retailers and Traders . . .[restrict](GRTU) which represents the islands SMEs has signed a general Bilateral Agreement with the Misrata Chamber of Commerce in Misrata.
According to a GRTU statement, the agreement will mean that companies wishing to invest in both Malta and Libya will have their processes facilitated by both organisations.
It says it makes it possible for members of both the Misrata and the businesses members of GRTU to “feel at home” when visiting each other. “As such, a Misrata chamber member will be entitled to all the benefits that a GRTU member has in Malta.”
A programme of cultural and trade visits is also being organised.
The statement said that the GRTU delegation was “given the full treatment in Misrata. Amongst others, they visited the Misrata War Museum and saw at first hand a record of the bravery of the Misratans in fighting Qaddafi. The destruction left behind is already being repaired, but the suffering this city went through was still very evident.”
It added that during the visit, it became clear that Libya’s businessmen were now looking towards the EU. It said that they specifically asked for GRTU’s help in getting their products certified for the EU’s market.
It also noted that members of the delegation “were surprised to see how well advanced Misrata’s manufactured products are, especially the steel and diary sectors.”
Misrata’s mindset, it said, was very much like Malta’s. “Misrata’s people are very business oriented, with a can-do attitude that is very heartening to see. This means that Malta’s businessmen will feel very much at home in this environment and will be sure to find new partners for their businesses in Libya.”
As a result of the visit and the agreement, GRTU is looking to set up a Libya committee to start organising the first GRTU trade delegation as well as one-to-one meetings with Libyan companies.
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