Egypt military ruler to visit Libya
2012-01-14 12:13
Cairo - Egypt's military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi is to visit Libya on Monday to bolster ties between the two neighbouring countries where popular protests have unseated veteran leaders, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported.
"Tantawi will visit Tripoli the day after tomorrow to open a new page with Libya," the newspaper said on Saturday.
He will hold talks with the leader of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, it added.
Tantawi heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which has ruled Egypt since veteran president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February last year following an 18-day popular uprising.
His talks with Libya's interim rulers, including Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib, will include "Egypt's participation in the reconstruction of Libya" as well as Libyan investments in Egypt.
Last week, Abdel Jalil said that Libya will review all its investments abroad, with some overseas projects expected to be stopped.
"There are some investments that could be developed and others that it would be better to terminate for the good of the Libyan people," he said.
Until its overthrow last year, the regime of Muammar Gaddafi invested vast sums of money in Africa, the Arab world and beyond, from a sovereign wealth fund set up in 2006.
"Field Marshal Tantawi's visit underscores the importance of ties between the two countries," NTC deputy chief Abdel Hafiz Ghoga told Al-Ahram, adding he expected Libya's investments in Egypt to grow.
According to the paper, several cabinet ministers were to travel to Libya on Saturday ahead of Tantawi, including the ministers of electricity, tourism, planning and labour. Libya is home to a huge community of Egyptian expatriates.
