Palermo – The Libyan News Agency and Italy’s Italpress news agency signed a cooperation agreement in Palermo on Tuesday. The agreement aims to expand media partnership between Libya and Italy by sharing news, content, and information. The goal is to provide a more accurate and objective image of both countries.
The agreement was signed by Abdulbaset Ahmed Abudiya, Chairman of the Libyan News Agency, and Gaspare Borsellino, Director of Italpress. The signing ceremony was attended by Badr Shaniba, Director of Foreign Media at the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kamel Bashaher, Deputy Libyan Consul in Palermo, Faeq Aboud, Consular Attaché, and Massimiliano Boccolini, head of Middle East news at Italpress.
The agreement includes joint training programs, workshops, professional meetings, and journalist exchanges to build skills and strengthen professional expertise.
Abudiya said the agreement reflects the deep historical ties between the Libyan and Italian peoples. He noted that cooperating with Italpress will help deliver reliable Libyan news directly to audiences in Italy and Europe. It will also give Libyans clearer insight into Italian policies related to Libya.
Abudiya described the partnership as an important opportunity for training. He said the Libyan agency hopes to benefit from Italpress’s professional experience through training courses and professional exchanges for Libyan journalists.
Borsellino said the agreement goes beyond news sharing. He called it the start of a long-term institutional partnership to exchange knowledge and expertise. He highlighted the chance for Libyan journalists to visit Italy and learn about work practices inside Italpress. Borsellino pointed out that coverage of migration from Libya to Europe is often inaccurate and sometimes relies on misleading information. He expressed hope that cooperation with the Libyan News Agency will ensure accurate reporting.
Badr Shaniba, representing the Libyan Foreign Ministry, expressed support for fighting misinformation related to Libya. He said cooperation between the agencies can play a key role in spreading accurate information and presenting a more balanced image of Libya. He also invited international journalists and media outlets to visit Libya and see the situation firsthand.
Both sides stressed that the agreement demonstrates the crucial role of media as a bridge between countries, cultures, and institutions. They said it marks a new path of cooperation that recognizes the Mediterranean as a strategic space for dialogue, development, and knowledge exchange.
Italpress described the deal as a milestone in its international expansion, especially given the Mediterranean region’s growing political, economic, social, and media importance.