The British Libyan Business Association (BLBA) has launched a petition urging the United Kingdom government to reassess its travel advice for Libya.
The BLBA describes itself as a leading trade association operating in Libya, dedicated to promoting bilateral trade, investment, and business partnerships between the United Kingdom and Libya. The association aims to facilitate collaboration and exchange between businesses, governments, and individuals in both countries, fostering economic growth and development.
The petition emphasises that the current advisory needs to accurately reflect the country’s security, political, and commercial environment and argues that it places UK/Libyan commerce at a disadvantage while benefiting other nations.
Chairman of the BLBA, Jon Hancock, expressed his belief that Libya has made significant strides in the past 18 months and stressed the crucial role the United Kingdom can play in its ongoing progress. He emphasised the need for the UK to reengage and participate in various sectors, not only in commerce but also in areas such as health, financial services, aerospace, education, information technology, engineering, and agriculture.
“The UK leads the field in many areas, and we have a responsibility to share our expertise with Libya for the greater good,” stated Hancock. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s advisory against all travel to Libya has remained in place since 2014. The BLBA’s petition calls for a thorough review of this guidance, considering Libya’s current political, security, and social conditions.
Hancock further underlined that the United Kingdom can serve as an integral partner, supporting Libya’s positive trajectory of improvement. He emphasised the BLBA’s commitment to collaborating with Libyan counterparts to promote change in the existing travel advice. The BLBA encourages all stakeholders interested in UK-Libyan relations to support the petition and join forces to foster mutually beneficial partnerships that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of both nations.
Alex Breingan, Chief Executive Officer of the association, emphasised the significance of recognizing the untapped business and trade opportunities between the UK and Libya. He highlighted that, while the association can offer real-time, on-the-ground insights to enable businesses to undertake substantial projects in Libya, government support is crucial.
Breingan further expressed astonishment at the overwhelming interest from UK companies, both those experienced in the Libyan market and those eager to explore it for the first time. Many of these companies are independently monitoring the situation and are perplexed by the disparity between their findings and the existing UK travel advisory. This situation underscores the urgent need for the UK government to re-evaluate its position and provide updated, precise travel advice that accurately reflects the current conditions in Libya.
People wishing to support the petition can do so via the following link https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640680
