Interview with Leila Saidi, AfDB Principal Country Economist for Libya

Question: In light of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President’s recent trip to Libya and as country economist for Libya, can you provide us an insight into the partnership between Libya and the AfDB?

Answer: Libya and the AfDB are strengthening their co-operation following President Kaberuka’s visit to Libya as head of a high level delegation, accompanied by the AfDB Executive Director for Libya, Gadad Adbul-Magid. Discussions during the visit were centered on domains such as infrastructure projects, the environment and the sharing of expertise at the level of the  continent and the transfer of expertise, particularly in the domains of public finance management, education and statistics.

Question: Since Libya is not one of the Bank’s borrowing countries, what types of tasks does the Bank intend to focus on in Libya?

Answer: Access to liquidity is a problem which all African countries face, even the most developed ones. Libya has its own choices which are related to its own history and its own experiences. I would like to say that Libya could be co-financing activities with other international financial institutions, like the World Bank. The AfDBhas its own strategy, compared to middle income countries, which it will seek to adapt to Libya’s specificities. What is clear to me, at this time, is that the Bank will try to focus on projects dealing with assistance in knowledge transfer, expertise and professional training in public finance management, technology, information, statistics, and education. In terms of statistics, for example, a high level workshop will be held in January 2009 in Libya. This meeting will be organized by Libya’s National Statistics Office in co-operation, with the AfDB.

Question: Libya has important investments in several African countries, do you think convergences and synergies can be found between the Bank and Libya in targeted sectors?

Answer:  It is clear that Libya is a country that is moving towards Pan-African integration. The country has important investments in several African countries. The official visit of the AfDB President shows the goodwill of both parties to blend their efforts so as to help Africa out of poverty, and debt, as well as help efforts at rebuilding the continent’s depreciating infrastructure.