European Forum

Gaddafi's first visit ever to ex-colonial ruler Italy

Today (10 June) Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has arrived in Rome on his first three-day visit to Italy -Libya's former colonial ruler and now its biggest trading partner. Gaddafi is being accompanied by a delegation of Libyan businessmen looking to boost their investments in Italian industry.

Last year Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi also visited Libya’s capital Tripoli. During that occasion Berlusconi apologized to Gaddafi in name of Italy with regard to Italy’s colonial history. Berlusconi also agreed to pay Libya bn (£3bn) in reparations for colonial policies. At that time he hoped to receive much back in return. Since that moment Italy with Libya are jointly patrolling at the Libyan shore, to make sure Libyan sea fugitives are not able to cross over from Libya to Italy. Moreover, for Italy it is crucial that the gas transit from Libya to Italy –which makes a fifth of Italy’s energy resources- will continue. Italian business firms also aim to massively increase their trade with the oil rich country and they hope for capital injections by Libyan funds.

In this light, the Italian hosts warmly welcomed Gaddafi today. One of them called the visit “historical”. A police corps of about 1,000 persons watches over the security of the Libyan colonel. All the wishes of Gaddafi are taken into consideration. For example, he will speech at the Senate; will visit the Chamber of representatives and he meets with the President and the Prime Minister. Demonstrations of politicians, “leftists” students and adherents of Amnesty International that find Gaddafi a “dictator, who violates human rights”, are trying to be kept as far as possible from the Libyan leader and friend of Italy during the visit.


Sources: BBC; NRC