Relationship dossier
Italy
Libya
Relationship assessment
Energy and migration cooperation undercut by political instability and disputes over migration management
Italy toward Libya
+35Italy concluded the 2008 Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation with Libya and signed a 2017 migration memorandum with the Government of National Accord. Italian energy engagement, including through ENI, has also remained an important part of bilateral ties. Cooperation has been complicated by Libya’s political fragmentation and disputes over migration enforcement.
Libya toward Italy
+25Libya concluded the 2008 friendship treaty with Italy, which included commitments concerning cooperation and Italy’s colonial-era legacy. Libyan authorities have also engaged Italy on energy and migration matters, including through the 2017 memorandum with the Government of National Accord. Political fragmentation has made the scope and continuity of such cooperation uncertain.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship has a durable basis in energy ties and the 2008 treaty, alongside practical migration cooperation formalized in 2017. These ties are offset by recurring disputes over migration management and uncertainty caused by Libya’s political fragmentation. The overall relationship is cooperative in important areas but lacks consistent stability.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Italy and Libya have maintained substantial energy ties and concluded a 2008 friendship treaty addressing cooperation and Italy’s colonial-era legacy. After Libya’s 2011 uprising, Italy engaged with successive Libyan authorities and signed a 2017 migration memorandum with the Government of National Accord. Cooperation has coexisted with instability in Libya, contested migration policies, and the interruption of earlier arrangements.
Areas of tension
- Disputes over migration management and the treatment of migrants intercepted at sea.
- Uncertainty about the reach and implementation of agreements amid Libya’s political fragmentation.
- The legacy of Italian colonial rule and the scope of commitments concerning that history.
Key developments
Italy and Libya signed the Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation, addressing bilateral cooperation and Italy’s colonial-era legacy.
Italy and the Government of National Accord signed a memorandum on migration cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and current status of the 2008 treaty and 2017 migration memorandum are unclear.
- The scope of cooperation between Italy and Libya’s competing authorities has varied over time.