Milan: Silvio Berlusconi was set to meet the head of Libya's rebel National Transitional Council on Thursday for talks aimed at securing Italian business interests in
post-conflict Libya.
The talks with Mahmud Jibril, due to start at 1030 GMT in Milan, are likely to address financial aid for the rebels without waiting for the United Nations to release Libyan funds
frozen at the start of the uprising.
The Italian Prime Minister and his Libyan counterpart are also likely to discuss plans to re-open Italian energy giant ENI's plants in the conflict-torn country, all but one of
which were shut down after the uprising began.
According to the Repubblica newspaper, Italy will announce 450 million euros (USD 650 million) in aid, to be guaranteed by the Libyan funds.
First Published: Thursday, August 25, 2011, 16:30