Date : 31/08/2011
ROME, Aug 31 (KUNA) -- Aiming to give further support to the new Libyan
leadership, Italy on Wednesday unblocked EUR 500 million of the Libyan funds.
"Today a final decision was taken to unblock EUR 500 million to give
further support to our Libyan friends," Italian news agency ANSA quoted
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini as saying during a visit to Hungary.
Billions of euros in investments by Muammar Gaddafi's regime have been
frozen in Italian banks as part of successive sanctions.
The government last week said it would release EUR 350 million from these
funds for the National Transitional Council (NTC) but Frattini said the sum
had been increased.
Before the start of the conflict, the regime had major investments in
Italy, including substantial shares in Italy's top bank, UniCredit, and
aerospace giant, Finmeccanica. (end)
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