Unrest In Libya Threatens Italy's Energy Supplies
When UN sanctions on Libya were lifted seven years ago, Italy helped Moammar Gahafi regain a role on the international stage. But Italy seems uncertain about what to do now. The uprising in the former colony threatens Italy's energy supplies, its economy and it could lead to a new wave of migrants.
ARI SHAPIRO, Host:
This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Ari Shapiro.
RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
And, Sylvia, what has Italy done so far to break relations with Libya?
SYLVIA POGGIOLI: Now, today Italy feels it has the most to lose from the events in Libya and it doesn't like sanctions or a no-fly zone. Officially, the government said its 2008 friendship treaty with Libya is de facto suspended. But it made clear that it does not now intend to freeze Libyan assets in Italian companies as Britain, Germany, France and Austria have done.
MONTAGNE: So are these economic ties between the two countries strong enough that they've seemed to have paralyzed Italy diplomatically?
POGGIOLI: Libya also owns shares of the Juventus soccer team, the Fiat automaker and the ENI oil company. Italy is Libya's biggest trade partner and Libya is the fifth biggest investor in Italy. So when the uprising started the Italian stock market took a big hit. And those close economic ties were consolidated by this very controversial friendship treaty.
MONTAGNE: You mentioned the friendship treaty. What is that exactly?
POGGIOLI: The most controversial clause of the treaty states that Italy will not allow its bases, including NATO bases on its territory, to be used for any action against Libya.
MONTAGNE: And so does that mean that now that the treaty is suspended NATO could use bases in Italy if there were military operations against Libya?
POGGIOLI: So Italy has been sending really mixed signals. It does not have a clear idea what to do. But it is clear that given Libya's vast territorial expanse any Western military operation would require the use of the several U.S. and NATO bases in Italy, including the facilities of the U.S. Sixth Fleet in Naples.
MONTAGNE: Sylvia, thanks very much.
POGGIOLI: Thank you, Renee.
MONTAGNE: That's NPR's Sylvia Poggioli in Rome.
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