Italy and France aren't engaged in a colonial-style battle to seize Libya's riches, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in an interview with Rai radio.
Italy
and
France
aren't engaged in a colonial-style battle to seize
Libya
's
riches, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in an interview with Rai
radio.
"There's not a race to arrive first in
Libya
,"
Frattini said, rejecting allegations in Italian newspapers of a competition
between the two countries for the best contracts in a post-Gadhafi
Libya
.
"We are forgetting that the protagonists are the Libyan people," he
said. "Unlike many other European countries,
Italy
has
asked pardon for the faults of the colonial past" and "does not want
to fall back into temptation."
Frattini said the north African country had "a ruling class, qualified
young people, people who have traveled and know the world," and would not
allow itself to be imposed upon by a "colonial presence."
Italy
is
different from all the other countries, he said: "
Italy
is a
country with a population which has a deep, reciprocated love for the Libyan
people."
In an interview on the Internet site "IlSussidario.net", the foreign
minister added the "Italian military engagement in
Libya
will
continue even after Gadhafi's capture, as long as circumstances require
it."
Italy
will
continue to play a key role in post-Gadhafi
Libya
, in
particular regarding infrastructure, energy and telecommunications sectors, as
well as on immigration, he said.
"
Italy
did
not become important in
Libya
just
yesterday. There are several decades of history of political friendship,
economic exchanges and international collaboration which will continue with the
emerging government."
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01