By Jamie Prentis.
Tunis, 15 March 2017:
The first fruits of a twinning agreement signed last October between Zintan and the Italian city of Verona have appeared with agreement on a range of contracts that could be worth millions of dollars.
Verona’s mayor Flavio Tosi came to Zintan this week with a business delegation that included construction companies Unieco and Impresa Pietro Cidonio.
Tosi told Italian reporters back in Verona the deals were planned to encourage production and investment in Zintan and embraced infrastructure projects.
The mayor added that he hoped the projects would provide a real opportunity to begin a process of rebuilding and revival in the area.
The Italian delegation was welcomed by Zintan’s mayor Mustafa Al-Baroni, who has increasingly sought international investment in his town. In February, he travelled to Brussels for talks with EU officials about possible help to develop the area.
Italy has rekindled its focus on Libya, becoming the first country to reopen its Tripoli embassy earlier this year.