Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to ‘‘direct his instructions to Chinese companies to return to work in Libya, and to support the start of reconstruction in the country’’.
The promise was reported by the Media Office of the Presidential Council during the participation of Libyan Deputy Presidential Council head, Musa Koni, in the 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 22 to 24 August. Koni was meeting Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit attended by 76 states, as well as participating in the special session on African Chinese cooperation.
Libya seeking strategic partnership with China
Koni expressed Libya’s desire to discuss a strategic partnership with China with a future orientation for comprehensive cooperation and common development, especially since Libya has joined, since 2018, the “Belt and Road” initiative, for which China is allocating great potential.
Lifting force majeure on the work of Chinese companies in Libya
The Deputy Head of the Presidential Council stressed the importance of the role that China can play in supporting Libyan efforts towards achieving stability and accelerating the completion of reconstruction projects, in accordance with the lifting of force majeure on the work of Chinese companies in Libya, to resume their work suspended since 2011, and to open the door for investment on a large scale for Chinese companies.
China would send strong global signal
Koni added that China’s global pressure, sends a strong reassuring message to all international companies regarding the achievement of stability, which has become evident in Libya, and the success of the efforts made with neighbouring African countries, and Europe in this regard.
Libya needs China’s reconstruction expertise
The Deputy Head of the Presidential Council further explained Libya’s need for Chinese expertise in reconstruction projects, and that the Chinese model of economic advancement, through which China achieved a qualitative leap of development, and was able, with exceptional speed, to move to a world-class level.
China seeks BRICS oriented strategic relationship with Libya
For his part, the Presidential Council’s Media Office reported, Xi Jinping expressed his interest in developing Chinese-Libyan relations according to strategic and economic horizons that go towards the path of the new global economic BRICS bloc.
He welcomed joint cooperation with Libya and supported the process of advancing the state and building the country, and assured Koni that prospects for creative cooperation would not be delayed. The Chinese president affirmed his country’s readiness to deepen mutual political trust with Libya and expand economic cooperation between the two countries. According to a comprehensive strategic partnership.