New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) After initial dilly-dallying in recognising the new regime in Libya, India is now helping the north African country recover from its civil war by offering medicines worth $1 million and is readying to welcome injured Libyan patients for treatment.
“The government of India has been supportive of the people of Libya and has interacted with the National Transitional Council in London, Istanbul and Paris meetings, including in the United Nations,” the external affairs ministry said here Tuesday.
Rajeev Shahare, joint secretary (West Asia and North Africa) in the external affairs ministry, handed over India’s humanitarian assistance consisting of life saving medicines and medical equipment worth around $1 million to the National Transitional Council of Libya in Tripoli Monday.
The humanitarian package was firmed up after the NTC had earlier in Benghazi provided a list of life savings drugs to the Indian government.
The fresh assistance adds up to an earlier package worth $1 million to the NTC through the UN’s Office of Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid in New York.
Reacting to a proposal from the interim NTC government to send injured Libyan nationals for medical treatment to India, New Delhi said this was welcome.
“In this regard, a Libyan delegation has already visited India in December 2011 to tie up treatment of injured Libyan patients in reputed hospitals,” said the ministry.
India is also arranging to send a team with ‘Jaipur Foot’ artificial limbs to Tripoli. The team would be providing prostheses to the injured Libyans and would set up a centre to provide readymade artificial limbs to the injured.
Last year, at the height of the civil war in Libya, India mounted a major evacuation exercise that brought most home most of around 18,000 Indians who lived in the oil-rich country.
With the change in regime in Tripoli after the death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in October last year, India has been stepping up its diplomatic initiatives to build bridges with the new dispensation.
