Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh arrived in Libya Sunday on a two-day visit for talks on bilateral relations between the two countries, and the latest developments on the Palestinian cause.
During his visit, the PM is scheduled to meet with his Libyan counterpart Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and other top officials.
Shtayyeh will also hold talks with Mohamed al-Menfi, chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, and Speaker Aguila Saleh.
The PM’s visit to Tripoli comes two days after an initial agreement between Palestinian Economy Minister Khaled Al-Osaili and his Libyan counterpart Muhammad Ali Al-Hawij to develop and strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Palestine and Libya, and to increase the volume of trade exchange between both sides.
Al-Hawij expressed willingness to facilitate the import of Palestinian products to Libya.
There is no strong trade exchange between the two countries. However, the Palestinian Authority is seeking to open Arab markets to Palestinian products based on an old plan stipulating economic disengagement from Israel.
The PA seeks to amend the 1994 Paris Protocol on Economic Relations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which sets a quota for goods allowed to be imported from abroad.
Last week, the Palestinian Central Council (PCC) rejected economic peace projects and confidence-building measures that Israel proposed as an alternative to a permanent and just peace.
