IRINI signs border security agreement with EUBAM Libya

The European Union’s Operation IRINI has signed a working agreement with the E.U. Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM Libya) to “establish effective cooperation in order to strengthen their respective actions and to respond to newly emerging issues related to Libya,” according to a statement released on Saturday by Operation IRINI.

Rear Admiral Fabio Agostini, commander of Operation IRINI, and Natalina Cea, Head of EUBAM, signed the agreement in Rome as a follow-up to the December 2020 administrative arrangement between the two European organizations.

“Operation IRINI and EUBAM Libya decided to cooperate, within their respective mandates, with a view to supporting the relevant Libyan authorities in developing maritime capacities, with particular attention to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Port Security,” reads the statement by Operation IRINI.

“It is an important agreement for the control of territorial and maritime borders signed at a moment of particular importance for Libya,” Cea was quoted as saying in the statement.

For his part, Agostini underlined that “the exchange of good practices and information will reinforce the integrated approach which is part of the EU vision in Libya”.