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Libya, Italy join hands to stem flow of illegal immigrants

Xinhua, May 15, 2017 Adjust font size:

Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj met with Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti on Monday in the Libyan capital Tripoli in bid to step up bilateral cooperation.

According to the prime minister's media department, both officials discussed issues of mutual concern, particularly matters of security cooperation between the two countries.

The discussion included battling illegal immigration, as well as training Libyan border security troops and coast guards.

The Italian embassy tweeted: "PM Serraj to Minniti: For effective fight against illegal migration, critical to concentrate on the South. Italy and Libya firmly on the same side in the fight against migrant smuggling."

Due to regional insecurity, thousands of migrants left Libya and headed towards Italy, with several drowning in the Mediterranean before reaching Italian shores.

Earlier last week, Serraj also met the Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano and discussed their joint efforts in fighting illegal immigration, human trafficking, and development projects in Libya.

The Libyan-Italian joint committee held a meeting in Tripoli to discuss illegal immigration and Libya's southern border security. Endit