Migration tops Libyan secretary's meetings

The secretary for foreign affairs of the Libyan People's Congress said on Thursday that his country recognised the problems which illegal migration was causing Malta but said this and other issues should not be a distraction from the development of closer relations between the two countries.

Suleiman Elshahumi speaking in an hour-long meeting with Parliament's Foreign and European Affairs Committee at times sounded frustrated that relations between Libya and Malta were not closer.

"We are satisfied with the state of our relationship but trade exchanges and political relations are not at the level we would like them to be and there is much room for improvement," he said in comments translated by the Libyan ambassador.

It was true that there were small problems between the two countries, including illegal migration "but our relationship is bigger than this" he said.

Mr Elshahumi, who had earlier discussed illegal migration with Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg, said migration was not a new phenomenon - there were almost as many Maltese living abroad as in Malta - but this was an issue which needed to be discussed clearly between all the countries of the region. Migration posed a problem for Libya too since a million people entered the country from its southern border across the Sahara and eventually made their way north to cross the Mediterranean. Their presence had led to various difficulties in Libya, including a rise in crime.

The country was doing what it could to curb the problem and it was certainly not abetting it, Mr Elshahumi said. But in a situation where many people in Central African countries were suffering poverty or felt that their life was in danger, it was very difficult to stop them trying to seek a new life elsewhere.

Libya's southern border was huge, inhospitable and very difficult to patrol, Mr Elshahumi said. One only needed to realise that the United States, the biggest power in the world, was itself not able to adequately patrol its own border with Mexico. Therefore the solution had to be sought through regional cooperation, which was why Libya was very keen on the major conference of European, North and Central African ministers due to be held in Tripoli next week.

With regard to bilateral relations, Mr Elshahumi said Libya needed Malta and Malta needed Libya. Longstanding ties needed to be better exploited. Unfortunately business joint ventures started by both governments had faltered and there needed to be stronger people to people exchanges.

The Libyan minister said Libya respected Malta's choices in joining the EU and did not see that as an obstacle for closer ties. He looked forward to meetings in Malta by the foreign affairs committee of the Libyan People's Congress for a frank exchange of all issues affecting the relationship with a view of drawing the two countries closer.

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, chairman of the Maltese Parliament's committee, said Maltese emigration had been different in that the Maltese moved to larger countries and their presence therefore did not create population density problems. Furthermore, Maltese emigration was legal. Malta, however understood the Libyan situation with regard to the current influx of illegal migration and did raise the Libyan position in international fora.

George Vella (MLP) said small problems could lead to big problems if they were not adequately tackled. The two countries needed to discuss a programme of action on migration as well as the other pending issues including fishing rights, the possibility of joint oil exploration and each other's position on various international issues, notably the situation in the Middle East.

Clyde Puli (PN) insisted that even the arrival of a few migrants in Malta was a serious problem and Malta would appreciate a little extra effort from Libya to curb migration.

Leo Brincat (MLP) asked Mr Elshahumi how his country viewed its relationship with the EU and Malta's role in the EU.

Michael Asciak (PN) urged Libya to consider participating in a Euro-Med conference due to be held in Tunis in March as part of the Barcelona process.

Mario de Marco (PN) said Libya's absence from the Barcelona process was like a family gathering where one of the brothers was missing. The process was important not just politically but also for the development of cross-Mediterranean trade exchanges, including the stated aim of creating a free trade zone by 2010.

Dr de Marco said he was seeing an improvement in people-to-people trade exchanges with Libya with some 250 Maltese companies now doing business in Libya with Libyan partners. It was through such exchanges that good relations were entrenched. He said that another small issue which needed to be discussed was the case of a number of Maltese whose properties in Libya had been nationalised at the time of the revolution. Now that the two countries recognised the right of each other's citizens to own property on each other's territory, a way of doing justice for the families whose properties had been nationalised should be considered.

Replying, Mr Elshahumi said that Libya acknowledged that migration was a big problem for Malta and that even the arrival of one boatload of migrants was a burden for a country with such a dense population density. His country was doing its best to contain it but he augured that the members of the committee would be able to tour Libya's southern border to see how difficult patrolling it was. He also agreed with Dr Vella that small problems needed to be tackled before they grew and said he hoped to return to Malta soon for more detailed talks.

He said he viewed Libya's relations with the EU as going in the right direction. His country he said, was considering participating in the Barcelona process, even though, in the past, some countries had not viewed Libya as a missing brother.

In his comments Mr Elshahumi thanked Malta for standing by Libya when times were tough and for also having served as a gateway when travel was restricted.