Fighters of the UN-backed Libyan government move explosive remnants in an old military camp in southern Tripoli, Libya, Oct. 12, 2020. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

 
Libya's UN-backed Prime Minster Fayez Serraj and visiting Maltese Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo on Monday discussed bilateral cooperation, said a statement issued by the prime minister's information office.

"The meeting discussed a number of issues of mutual cooperation, as well as the previously agreed upon cooperation programs of economy and services," the statement said.

"The discussion also covered the memorandum of understanding signed between the two friendly countries on combating illegal immigration," it said.

During a visit to Malta in June, Serraj and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela opened a coordination center for illegal immigration, the statement said, adding that a similar center is being prepared in Tripoli.

Libya has been trapped in a state of insecurity and chaos since the 2011 fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi's government, prompting thousands of illegal migrants to leave the country to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward Europe.