Malta, Libya plan irregular migration conference

Malta and Libya are to push for the holding of an international conference on illegal immigration in the Mediterranean at the 5+5 Western Mediterranean Forum Ministerial Meeting being held in Valletta on June 29 and 30.

The proposal will be made in a joint paper by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and his Libyan counterpart, Abdul Rahman Shalgam, in a decision taken when the two met in Sirte, Libya, on Monday.

Dr Frendo said the states to be invited to the conference would include those where illegal immigrants originate, transit states and states receiving illegal immigrants. The conference would tackle human trafficking in a holistic manner, seeking the participation of all state stakeholders in the issue.

The two ministers also agreed to start holding quarterly meetings "to maintain the momentum of the closeness of relations between Malta and Libya" and to hold the 24th session of the Libyan-Maltese Joint Commission later this year in Tripoli.

They reviewed progress made to facilitate the movement of nationals between the two countries - the Maltese embassy in Libya is currently issuing about 1,000 visas a week - and agreed to continue to improve on existing measures.

Dr Frendo said that since this year is the 40th anniversary of the opening of formal relations between Malta and Libya, this "important event" should be commemorated.

Separate talks with Libyan Prime Minister Shoukri Ghanem focused on the changing economic environment in Libya and Malta and on the resulting opportunities for trade and investment.

Dr Frendo spoke on the need to facilitate the application of the two countries' double taxation agreement to attract investment to Libya via Malta and the benefits to Libyan companies using Malta as an operational and financial base for their activities within the European Union.

He also brought to Mr Ghanem's attention an initiative to encourage the University of Malta to set up a Link Campus in Tripoli on the lines of the Link Campus in Rome, where over 400 students currently follow post-graduate courses. The Libyan Prime Minister was enthusiastic about this initiative and said he would give it his full support.

Dr Frendo said Malta's relations with Libya should be multi-level: not only at the level of governments but also at the level of universities, business and people.

Dr Frendo's recent visit to Ramallah and Jerusalem were also discussed, as were his efforts on behalf of the EU to consolidate and move the Middle East peace process forward.

Dr Frendo also met Suleiman Shahoumi, International Secretary of the Libyan People's Congress. Mr Shahoumi reiterated Libya's support for Malta as the future seat of the new IPU Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. He said the Maltese and Libyan delegations worked closely on this.

Libya, Mr Shahoumi said, appreciated Malta's longstanding and steadfast relationship and considered it a close friend within the EU. He also gave his support for a University of Malta Link Campus in Tripoli.

Dr Frendo and Mr Shahoumi agreed on the composition of a Malta-Libya Business Commission to be made up of five Maltese nominees and five Libyan representatives.

Among Dr Frendo's engagements in Libya were the inauguration of two Maltese-Libyan joint ventures in the ICT retail and services sector and in medical equipment and supplies, the latter between the A.M. Mangion Group of Companies and Libyan interests.

Dr Frendo said one of Malta's strengths lay in its people's ability to be the business interface and network with others in international markets. In this way it was also assisting in the development of the new economic environment in Libya.

He also paid a visit to the St James Clinic in Tripoli, which was officially granted its licence to start operating yesterday. "This is a centre for excellence in the whole of North Africa," he said.

"The clinic is impressive and a further indication of how the Maltese and Libyans can work together."