Joint oil exploration proposed by Labour government

Former Foreign Minister George Vella yesterday welcomed the agreement reached with Tunisia last week for joint oil exploration and exploitation in areas which both countries claim rights over.

But he insisted, when speaking in Parliament, that contrary to remarks made by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo on Monday, the Labour government had also proposed and held talks on such joint efforts and this was borne out by minutes at the Foreign Ministry and a document prepared by the Foreign Ministry recently. It was therefore wrong of the minister to try to give the impression that this was an innovation and the Labour government's talks had only been about the delineation of the median line.

Dr Vella said that while the issue over part of the territory between Libya and Malta had been decided by the International Court of Justice there were other areas on the east and west over which talks had been held. Rights in some cases were claimed by Malta, Libya, Tunisia and Italy.

When Labour was in government, Dr Vella said, he had gone to Tunisia in 1997 and had spoken about the need for experts to technically study the situation. The aim was to achieve joint exploration and exploitation. This was clear in minutes available at the Foreign Ministry. They showed how at a formal meeting with representatives from both sides, he had proposed that the issue should be discussed freely and he reiterated the proposal of joint development in the area disputed only by Malta and Tunisia.

He wondered how agreement had been reached now, seven years later.

Referring to Libya, Dr Vella noted that just before a Parliamentary delegation visited Libya in 2004 the Foreign Ministry prepared a briefing document which also showed how in 1998, the Maltese government had proposed cooperation between the two countries in oil exploration and exploitation. This was ruled out by Libya in July 2004.