TRIPOLI, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Tuesday met with the Italian Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta, and discussed economic cooperation and illegal immigration.
According to the statement issued by the Prime Minister's information office, Trenta stressed Italy's support for the national reconciliation in Libya and Serraj's efforts to achieve security and stability in the country.
"The Italian Minister of Defense said that the Mediterranean ... has brought (the two countries) together against illegal immigration that both Italy and Libya suffer from," the statement said.
Libya is a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards Italian shores, due to the insecurity and chaos in the country.
Serraj stressed the need to secure Libya's southern border, calling for assistance to the immigrants' source countries, "so that they do not have to leave in a risky adventure."
The Libyan prime minister also called for partial lifting of the international weapons ban on Libya in order to arms the Libyan security services.
The two officials also discussed the return of Italian companies to Libya to resume projects suspended for years due to poor security conditions in the country.
