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Egypt seeks role in Libya’s reconstruction

Egypt and Libya concluded a cooperation agreement to set up mechanisms aimed at attracting Egyptian workers to reconstruction projects in Libya, where a new executive authority in Libya came to power.

Egyptians, who were formerly residing in Libya, have their documents checked by Tunisian customs at Djerba airport on the Tunisian-Libyan border, before their departure for Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 23, 2015.
Egyptians, who were formerly residing in Libya, have their documents checked by Tunisian customs at Djerba airport on the Tunisian-Libyan border, before their departure for Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 23, 2015. — Fethi Nasri/AFP via Getty Images

At a time when a new unified government has been approved in Libya, Egypt is looking to boost its economic influence in the country by investing in the field of reconstruction and having Egyptian workers return to Libya.

The Egyptian Ministry of Manpower announced March 15 that it held talks with the Libyan Ministry of Labor to discuss the participation of Egyptian workers in the reconstruction of the Libyan state and set up an electronic system between the two ministries to determine the Libyan needs in this regard.

The ministry said in a statement that it had “agreed with the Libyan side to form a joint technical committee to tackle matters related to the electronic system between the two ministries’ information centers, as well as a higher committee to follow up on and supervise the work related to Egyptian workers.”

The Libyan Embassy in Cairo had announced March 13 having reached an agreement with Egypt to facilitate the entry of Egyptian workers into Libya and form a joint permanent committee representing the labor ministries of the two countries in order to follow up on the conditions of Egyptian workers. The embassy said that the two sides agreed to arrange for an Egyptian technical delegation to visit Libya soon to complete the remaining technical arrangements for the Egyptian laborers to partake in reconstruction projects.

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