Libya's Dbeibeh proposes $70 billion economic partnership to Trump adviser

ISTANBUL

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh proposed a $70 billion economic partnership on Wednesday to Massad Boulos, a special adviser to US President Donald Trump for Africa.

The proposal came during Dbeibeh’s meeting with Boulos in the capital, Tripoli, according to Libya’s official Hakomitna platform on Facebook.

The meeting addressed opportunities for joint cooperation in the fields of energy, minerals, infrastructure, health, and telecommunications.

Dbeibeh affirmed his government’s commitment to building economic partnerships with the US that would open the door for major American companies to participate in development and investment projects.

During the meeting, a Libyan government team presented a detailed outline of the proposed strategic economic partnership with Libya, valued at approximately $70 billion.

This partnership includes "ready-to-launch projects in the sectors of energy, minerals, electricity, infrastructure, and telecommunications, enabling an organized and direct entry for American investment into the Libyan market," according to the platform.

The two sides also discussed developments in the oil sector, particularly opportunities in new offshore and onshore blocks, and ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and achieve sustainable returns within a stable energy framework.

They also addressed developments concerning the Palestinian issue, the statement said.

Dbeibeh expressed "Libya’s strong condemnation of the crimes, starvation, and ongoing aggression being inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza."

He stressed "the urgent need for an immediate end to the aggression, the lifting of the blockade, and the protection of civilians from the horrors of war," the statement reads.

Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one led by Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the west of the country, and another appointed by the House of Representatives (parliament) in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.

The UN continues to mediate efforts to unify governance and hold national elections in the country.