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By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 31 October 2013:
Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan reiterated Italy’s determination in helping Libya’s efforts . . .[restrict]to rebuild .
“Italy is determined to help Libya in its progress”, Zeidan said.
He confirmed that an Italian company, without mentioning any particular company’s name, will start on the coastal motorway in eastern Libya, but gave no further details.
As reported by Libya Herald in August this year, the new coastal motorway will run across Libya for 1,700 kilometres, from the Tunisian border to the Egyptian border, and will be funded by the Italian government within the scope of the Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed by Berlusconi and Qaddafi back on 30 August 2008 in Benghazi.
This agreement was in compensation by Italy to Libya for the years when Italy colonized Libya from 1911 until the Second World War.
The first section of the coastal motorway, was to be constructed by the Salini Impregilo Group, to run for approximately 400 kilometres from the city of Marj to Emsaad, on the Egyptian border.
According to an announcement reported by Libya Herald in July, the Salini Impregilo Group is also refurbishing the Kufra airport.
It will be interesting to see if, in view of the current security situation in Libya, these announced contracts are indeed contracts with strict start and completion dates, or simply Memorandums of Understandings.
This will not be the first announcement of a contract being signed in Libya recently, but questions remain on foreign companies’ ability to execute in present circumstances.
Indeed, there are hundreds if not thousands of pre 2011 stalled projects all over Libya awaiting recommencement. Many foreign contractors await compensation and payment settlements and more importantly, a secure environment within Libya before considering starting or restarting operations. [/restrict]
