MILAN (AP) — The head of Libya's rebel Cabinet arrives in Italy for talks Thursday with Premier Silvio Berlusconi on his second stop on a European diplomatic tour aimed at securing the release of billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets. Mahmoud Jibril meets with Berlusconi in Milan the day after laying out plans in Paris for the governing Libya after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi's 42-year autocratic regime. The Libyan opposition say they urgently need at least $5 billion in frozen assets to pay state salaries, maintain vital services and repair critical oil facilities. The U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, is preparing to vote this week on a resolution that would release $1.5 billion in Libyan assets in U.S. banks that the world body froze to thwart Gadhafi's ability to wage war on his people. Analysts estimate that as much as $110 billion are frozen in banks worldwide. Italy, Libya's old colonial ruler, developed into Libya's largest trading partner as old colonial resentments matured into mutually beneficial economic ties — which were worth €11 billion in 2010, before trade between the countries was halted in February with the outbreak of civil war. That was down from a pre-economic crisis high of €20 billion in 2008. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said this week that he expects the rebels to honor all business contracts with Italian firms. That includes those with the oil giant Eni, the largest foreign producer in Libya. "They have committed to honor all of the contracts, also those of Italian businesses, that were signed by Libya. They weren't contracts with Gadhafi," Frattini told RAI state radio. Eni has dispatched technicians to Benghazi to prepare to restart oil and natural gas production. Eni, which derives 13 percent of its revenues and 15 percent of its production from Libya, has said it can take up to a year to relaunch oil production, and several months for natural gas. Before the civil war, Eni pumped about 280,000 barrels of natural gas and oil a day. Libya's sovereign wealth fund also has notable stakes in Eni, Unicredit bank, the Juventus soccer club and the defense and aerospace company Finmeccanica. In addition, Eni and Finmeccanica, along with their subsidiaries, have significant investments in the country, where some 600 small and medium Italian businesses are eager to relaunch operations. Italy is also concerned about the safety of four journalists taken at gunpoint Wednesday by forces loyal to Gadhafi. They are two correspondents from the Milan daily Corriere della Sera, one from Turin's La Stampa and one from Avvenire, the daily of the Italian Catholic bishops Conference. Their Libyan driver was killed. Italy's consul in Benghazi, Guido De Sanctis, told Sky TV 24 that no demands have been made so far, and that it was difficult to establish contact with the abductors. De Sanctis says the four are being held in an apartment in Tripoli. "It seems like we are in a situation of waiting," De Sanctis said.
