Malta, Libya discuss options

Malta and Libya have agreed that teams from the respective countries should get together to look into the lineation of oil exploration, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo told The Times.

Dr Frendo said the two countries were discussing a number of options with regard to oil - not just joint exploration - and technical meetings were going to be held between them.

When asked about comments made yesterday in an interview by Business Today with former Foreign Minister John Dalli, who said the government should start negotiations with Libya on this issue, Dr Frendo said: "Oil was one of the subjects discussed during my meeting with the Libyan Minister for the Economy (in January)...

I don't think it is prudent for me to comment specifically on one of the options we discussed - joint exploration. It is not the only option and there are others we are discussing as well as what area belongs to who.

"It is a complex issue and any comments at this moment may prejudice the issue."

There has been a long running dispute between Malta and Libya over which country owns certain sites to the south of Malta. In a recent reply to a parliamentary question, Resources Minister Ninu Zammit, who is responsible for oil exploration, said talks with Libya and Tunisia on the delineation of the continental shelf were continuing.

During his visit to Libya, Dr Frendo also discussed revitalising the 1984 cooperation agreement between the two countries, which lists several areas of cooperation between the governments, companies and citizens.