Tunisian interim PM to visit Libya

Tunisian interim Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi will visit Libya on Wednesday at the invitation of National Transitional Council (NTC) Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the official press agency TAP reported. Essebsi, accompanied by a delegation of ministers and businessmen, will mainly focus on the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and trade relations during his talks in Benghazi with Jalil, TAP said. The talks will also focus on security issues and the problem of arms smuggling, Tunisian radio reported Wednesday. It is the first visit by a Tunisian prime minister to Libya since the ouster of former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14. Mahmoud Jibril, head of the NTC executive board, travelled to Tunisia in September to discuss bilateral ties and security issues. He told the Tunisian authorities that his country would need Tunisian manpower to rebuild the new Libya, adding that Tunisian skills would be at the forefront of the reconstruction efforts. Tunisia was one of Libya's main trade partners, but their trade volume plummeted during the recent unrest.