Monti to Visit Libya on January 21

The Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti will visit Tripoli on January 21 with the aim of reviving a friendship treaty between Italy and Libya that was suspended during this year''s conflict. Monti will meet during his short visit with the head of Libya''s National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil "The visit that I will undertake to Tripoli with some ministers on January 21 is being prepared and we want to reactivate the friendship treaty," Monti told reporters. Abdel Jalil, visited Rome last month to discuss the 2008 treaty between Libya and its former colonial power Italy. The treaty, which was signed by Moammar Gaddafi and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, helped ease the way for billions of euros (dollars) in investments from Italy to Libya and vice-versa.