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Libya to pay outstanding debts to Tunisia

December 2, 2022 at 10:01 am

President of Tunisia Kais Saied (R) meets Prime Minister of Libyan Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (L) in Tripoli, Libya on March 17, 2021. [Libyan Government of National Unity – Anadolu Agency]

The head of the Libyan Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, yesterday said his country intends to pay its outstanding debts to Tunisia this month, in addition to unifying the border customs point between the two countries.

This came during Dbeibeh’s meeting in Tunis with the head of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), Samir Majoul, and members of the union, according to the Libyan Hakomitna platform.

“The Libyan government will pay $250 million outstanding debt to Tunisia before the end of this year, and the amount is related to medical debts for Libyan patients and electricity dues,” Dbeibeh said.

Tunisian hospitals received wounded Libyans during the wars that Libya witnessed in the past years. Libya also linked its electrical network in the west of the country with Tunisia to compensate for the shortage of production due to the damage to the electrical transmission towers.

He added: “Customs officials in Libya and Tunisia have agreed to unify the customs point at the Ras Ajdir border crossing, and during the upcoming period, projects will be launched to develop and expand the crossing.”

On Wednesday, Dbeibeh and his Tunisian counterpart, Najla Bouden, oversaw the signing of an agreement stipulating increasing the number of flights between Libya and Tunisia, linking Libyan and Tunisian airports and launching a sea line between the two countries.

Dbeibeh started a visit to Tunisia on Wednesday along with a delegation from the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), the Audit Bureau, Deputy Prime Minister Adel Jumaa, and several other ministers and heads of security and service agencies.

Dbeibeh met with Tunisian President Kais Saied at Carthage Palace, and they have agreed to fully open the door to cooperation and address any problems facing the “historic partnership” between the two neighbouring countries, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Presidency of the Libyan Government of National Unity.

READ: Tunisia, Libya agree to open door to full cooperation, sources say