Joint Communiqué after PM's visit to Benghazi

The one-day-visit of Interim Prime Minister Béji Caïd Essebsi to Benghazi was crowned with a Tunisian-Libyan joint communiqué in which both sides reaffirmed determination to overcome all the obstacles impeding rapprochement between the two peoples and to endeavour to have the two countries' peoples benefit from the rights of free movement, residence, work and ownership on the basis of equality. During this visit, at the invitation of Libyan Transitional Council Chairman Mustapha Abdeljalil, the stress was put on the will of the two countries' leaders ''in this decisive historical stage" to focus efforts on strengthening the fraternal relations of solidarity between the two peoples and preparing the ground for the establishment of strong relations based on co-operation, complementarity and partnership as part of transparency. The PM, who arrived Wednesday afternoon in Benghazi, was heading a high-level-ministerial delegation and the aim of this visit was to "congratulate the Libyan people on the success of their revolution and the recovery of their freedom and dignity." The PM had two meetings with the National Transitional Council Chairman and a working session with attendance of the two countries' delegations followed by a news conference. Mr. Abdeljalil hailed the major support provided by Tunisia's Government and people to Libya's people and to the refugees of different nationalities in the difficult circumstances Libya went through. Mr. Béji Caïd Essebsi insisted for his part on the rightness of the brotherly Libyan people's cause, saying that what Tunisia did during the crisis ''is out of duty towards our Libyan brothers." He affirmed that this solidarity between Tunisia and Libya will go on in order to reinforce the success of the two revolutions, voicing hope that the future of the two countries will meet the expectations of the two peoples. The PM extended on the occasion an invitation to the NTC Chairman to visit Tunisia to carry on the ''fruitful'' dialogue between the two countries. During the working session, both sides stressed the need to mobilise all efforts and increase co-ordination to start plans of co-operation, exchange and partnership in the different fields on the basis of mutual interest and benefit. They also agreed to take special care of sensitive sectors, including in particular education, health, economy, trade, employment and security co-operation. The PM and the NTC Chairman reiterated as well the importance of endeavouring to provide the optimum conditions to the public and private sectors and to the whole civil society to allow them to effectively contribute to establishing privileged relations between the two countries, which is likely to favour the setting up of a consistent economic area whose final aim is to strengthen the foundations of security, stability and progress. Both sides also agreed to set up bilateral ministerial working groups in the various fields of co-operation and to let Tunisian and Libyan businessmen and investors share in working out a plan of action for short and long-term co-operation and setting up the adequate mechanisms to implement it. During the news conference, the journalists' questions focused on security at border areas and prospects for increasing bilateral economic and trade exchanges. Asked about the Libyan authorities' request to extradite former Libyan PM Baghdadi Mahmoudi, Mr. Abdeljalil said this case will be dealt with on the basis of the agreement signed by the two countries to this end. During his visit to Benghazi, the PM was escorted by the ministers of defence, education, training and employment, health and the Minister in the PM's office, the Secretary of State to Maghreb Affairs and the Chief of Tunisia's Industry, Trade and Crafts Union UTICA.