Italy and Libya Sign Accord

Libya’s Foreign Minister Ali Triki left Rome with an agreement for Italian-Libyan economic, technological and scientific cooperation and a prediction that the Saudi Arabian monarchy will fall as the Libyan monarchy fell in 1969 and as the Iranian monarchy is expected to fall now that the Shah has left.

In an interview last weekend with the newspaper, Messaggero, Triki said that Iran would now adopt the correct attitude toward the Zionist enemy”, meaning Israel, and “will now give its support to its Palestinian brothers.” He did not say what form that support would take.

The Italo-Libyan agreement, covers a wide range of enterprises including notable increases in Italian oil imports from Libya that presently amount to 10 million tons-a year, some 15 percent of Italy’s consumption. In addition, a bi-national fishing society was set up in the waters off Sicily and Italian investments in Libya and exports of petrochemicals and industrial goods are expected to increase.

Italy is also interested in safeguarding the health insurance and social security benefits of the 15,000 skilled and unskilled Italian workers living in Libya which was an Italian colony before World war II.

LIBYA SEEKS ENTRY INTO EEC

Triki disclosed that at his meetings with Premier Giulio Andreotti and other Italian government officials

Discussing events in Iran, he told Message that “The (Saudi) people will sooner? or later move, following the examples of Libya and Iran. “He conceded the possibility of a military coup in Iran in support of the absent Shah but believed that the “officers hitherto loyal to the Grown would have to face the new reality.” Triki’s visit is regarded as a forerunner of a visit by Libyan President Muammar Qoddafi who is expected in a month or “when conditions are right,” according to Triki, on Andreotti’s invitation.