Two thousand troops to be trained in Italy this year

By Libya Herald staff.

Tripoli, 12 January 2014:

The 340 Libyan soldiers currently being trained in Italy are the first to . . .[restrict]benefit from a bilateral agreement that will see up to 2,000 troops trained in 2014.

A representative at the Italian Embassy in Tripoli told the Libya Herald that the programme, organised by the Italian Ministry of Defence, is the second phase of an agreement to help rebuild the Libyan armed forces signed by Libya and Italy in May 2012. Other training initiatives, with Britain, the United States and Turkey, are also underway.

Plans for the training began in November, when military experts from the Italian Army together with the Libyan authorities selected 500 soldiers to travel to Italy. At the end of this 14-week training with the Italian 80th Volunteer Regiment in Cassino, Libyan soldiers will have reached the infantry platoon level.

As well as supporting the armed forces, the Italian government also provides special assistance to Libya in areas of public administration and the local economy, the embassy said.

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