President appeals to Gaddafi

President Eddie Fenech Adami has asked Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi for his "special understanding" of Malta's situation vis-à-vis the problem of illegal immigration.

In a letter delivered personally to Col Gaddafi by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo in Tripoli on Wednesday, Dr Fenech Adami emphasised the island's concern at the influx of illegal immigrants into Malta in view of its size and the fact that it is the most densely populated country in the region.

Dr Fenech Adami also referred to the historic "bond of friendship between our two peoples" and said Malta closely followed Libya's efforts at forging a closer union in Africa.

The letter further states that Malta remains steadfastly focused "on the Mediterranean with a mission of being an interlocutor between cultures and continents" and looks forward to Libya's contribution in the African Union-European Union summit scheduled for the end of this year in Portugal.

Dr Fenech Adami also mentioned collaboration in oil exploration "seeking a common way forward to the benefit of our two countries" within the framework laid out by the joint commission recently held in Tripoli and co-chaired by the foreign ministers of Malta and Libya. Dr Frendo, who returned from Libya on Wednesday evening, described his meeting with President Gaddafi as "an important cordial meeting representing the deep friendship between our two neighbouring countries in which we engaged on issues of importance in our bilateral relationship and in regional and international affairs".

Col Gaddafi and Dr Frendo discussed trade and investment between the two countries, Mediterranean, African and European affairs, illegal immigration and the continental shelf between the two neighbouring states.