Wednesday, 30th July 2008 - 12:05CET
Updated: President in longer-than-expected talks with Gaddafi
Updated 2 p.m.
President Eddie Fenech Adami early this afternoon had longer-than-expected talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli. A Maltese government delegation is currently meeting the Libyan Prime Minister.
The talks, which included lunch, were held in a tent in a compound where Col Gaddafi lives. No details of what was discussed were immediately available.
The presidential delegation went straight to Col Gaddafi's compound after being given a ceremonial welcome when it arrived in Tripoli late this morning for a two-day state visit.
Dr Fenech Adami was greeted by the secretary of the General People's Committee, Miftah Muahmmed K'Ebda and inspected a Libyan army Guard of Honour as the national anthems of the two countries were played by a military band.
The President is accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and Social Policy Minister John Dalli.
The Maltese government is seeking a breakthrough in talks on oil exploration in waters which both countries claim as their own. The waters may be explored jointly by the two countries.
Other issues expected to be discussed include illegal immigration, tax cooperation and an agreement on health services.
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Too bad the so called relations turned sour after we pulled the thorn out of muammar's behind with the closure of the british base in 1979 and the mask of friendship and brotherhood fell off. At the time some saw through the mask and they were called reactionaries and traitors of the people ( that's commie jargon for democrats)
Diplomatic Relations are between Countries and not Individuals. What the PN objected to was the road that the relationship that Malta was going to take in it's relationship with Libya. Libya was not the only Country that Mr Mintoff wanted these kind of special relationship with. May I remind you that there was also Communist China and North Korea and Romania as well that the PN objected to.
Yes my friend that it may be , but on 1st September 1969 there was a revolution in Libya and the diplomatic relations you are talking about went for a walk and never came back .
The diplomatic relations with Libya of Col Gaddafi were initiated by the government of Mr Mintoff in the 70s .
SO, maybe we where both wrong but you can judge who is right .
Thanks for your coments !
All we are getting now are POSITIVE meetings...PHOTO sessions...laughs...and loads of promises WHICH never materialise. i remember not long ago when the commonwealth leaders spent a holiday on all us taxpayers. we were promised huge investments as a result of that meeting..where is all the investment gone?? GONE WITH THE WIND!!!!
AND WHERE IS ALL THE HELP FROM THE EU? ARE THEY HELPING US TO COPE WITH ALL THIS INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? WHERE IS FRONTEX? NOOOOOWHERE!!!
This is a good one. Joke of the day. How on earth did you ever believe the Malta government from that merely hyped up and empty Commonwealth get together, Malta was to get international exposure and spillover of huge investments? Remember that most of the head of states that came for that flop of a meeting represent countries which are worse off than Malta and some are the economic basket cases of Africa and the West Indies!
As for the EU and FRONTEX, there are too many gaps to fill and to pretend that Malta will stop the invasion by illegal immigrants. Burden sharing is one of them.
No my friend, YOU ARE WRONG. Malta established Diplomatic Relations with Libya on June 11th, 1965.
The one that struck me most is ' reduced work time' .
Can we not all see other countries who have enacted this item into force in what position they are today.
Surely is Mr.Farrugia stating that 40 hour weeks are to much?
With productivity being regarded as less than expected in mostly all sectors this is one thing we should be very carefull about.
The reason that people like Ghadaffi play with us like they do, is because all we know how to do is tell each other how our party is better than their party. Just look at your statement, enough to make one weep. But I suppose that in your mind, one party making a fool of the other is something that will win a point. How about making a fool of the one who has been jitnejjek binha for the last 3 decades?
Malta needs some help in dealing with the colonel and that help has to be firm and resolute.
Have an American company start drilling and invite the 6th fleet to visit at will.
You ask, "So how in your narrow mind would you expect that Joe Mizzi will tell you all what he knows"
My answer to you is if Joe Mizzi really knows where the oil is, which I doubt very much that he does, it is his obligation and to do so in the National Interest. His responsibilities to do so it is greater than yours and mind since he is a member of the Legislature. s
Why do we have transparency and accountability? Just to have nice workds and for people to think that we have a smart guy at the helm?
Give us all the facts: then we will go to Valletta to protest for our rights - day and night too
You should also inform everyone that due to the bureaucracy of the nationalists' government no large oil company is any longer interested in being tied into a contract with Malta. In fact any oil exploration in Malta will ony be held by a small group of small intermediary firms!!
So how in your narrow mind would you expect that Joe Mizzi will tell you all what he knows. So that your Gonzi will get all the credit. As if! This is no matter of love for the country, but deeper ones.
PN is a conglomeration of contradictions and farces.
Yes my friend you are very much mistaken !!
While you were having a tete-a-tete with Gaddafi about the ILLEGAL immigrants that in the words of Mr Pair of Strong Hands Prime Minister qualifies as an ILLEGAL immigrants invasion we've just had another 81 ILLEGAL immigrants from Libya Mr Ed.
You should have reminded Ethelbert Shembri that the relationship with Libya under Mintoff was not only to be based on friendship and brotherhood, but according to Mintoff it was to be a "Blood Brotherhood" relationship.
If I am not mistaken it was a PN Government that opened diplomatic relationship with Libya sometimes after Independence. Regardless, what the PN was objecting to was Mintoff's friendship agreement with Libya as it thought it went to far. History proved that the PN, under GBO and EFA, was also right on this issue.
If I am not mistaken it was a PN Government that opened diplomatic relationship with Libya sometimes after Independence. Regardless, what the PN was objecting to was Mintoff's friendship agreement with Libya as it thought it went to far. History proved that the PN, under GBO and EFA, was also right on this issue.
That is the problem..our politicians label the talks they hold as positive, and no matter what Martinelli says, Fenech Adami is a political animal.
I guess however that we might manage to be allowed to commmence oil exploration in our territory, and that Dear Gaddaffi might promise to take back 5% of the immigrants HE is sending. All if he is in a very good mood, and Dr.Fenech Adami puts his tongue to good use.........And I dont mean in the way he puts his words.
as a first step it (Maltagovt) was expelling from malta all the libyan personnel who had been serving the maltese people in a libyan military uniform because these personnel who were our friends must now be regarded as a risk to the safeguard of our country's freedom (Malta govt statement DOI 27.8.80) note that this was after the closure of the british base in malta so much for friendship and brotherhood.
Your argumentation is the same as that of the PN in the 70s and 80s .
Did you notice that the same person that was shouting at the four winds those things and more, is sitting at a table discussing ( licking his a...) with Col Gaddafi.
If you still think that by insulting someone you are going to deal with him I think you are a bit wrong .
Now that Libya has no sanctions against it things are going to change in the near future , the US has every reason to help them . If buy good diplomacy we can be part of the restructuring it may help us too !!!
Being friends with Libya is one of those which we have to - due to its proximity and the joint interest in oil exploration.
For those who think the President did any U turns, may I remind them that the President is above politics but he is bound to reflect the government's policies.
Had Gaddafi behaved like a true statesman and not sent his gun boats to scare away an oil rig drilling on behalf of the Maltese government of that time, the then Opposition would not have taken a negative attitude towards him.
Times change, one would hope that Gaddafi changed a bit too, therefore it is no longer necessary to automatically take an adversarial stance against Libya. Even the United States acknowledges the change.
One crucial problem seems to be the illegal immigration issue. One would have to first find out whether Gaddafi is unwilling to help or, perhaps that he is unable to police every inch of the vast shoreline from which these immigrants leave.
Some people also like to mention the good old 70's and 80's. why don't they all mention the good old 60's when we had nothing. no social services, no local banks, no airmalta, no seamalta, no telemalta... nothing!!!
All we are getting now are POSITIVE meetings...PHOTO sessions...laughs...and loads of promises WHICH never materialise. i remember not long ago when the commonwealth leaders spent a holiday on all us taxpayers. we were promised huge investments as a result of that meeting..where is all the investment gone?? GONE WITH THE WIND!!!!
AND WHERE IS ALL THE HELP FROM THE EU? ARE THEY HELPING US TO COPE WITH ALL THIS INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? WHERE IS FRONTEX? NOOOOOWHERE!!!
This meeting could lead to this agreement (just a dream):
- Libya supplies Malta with cheap oil (below world market prices).
- Libya gets more influence in Europe through Malta.
- Malta continues to oppose any serious plans of replacing oil with wind or solar energy.
- Joint oil exploration where Libya doeas all the work, Malta gets the funds for this project from the EU. And once oil is pumped out Libya sells the oil at half price to Malta.
- For motivation purposes and as a sign of high regard, Libya will make payments to some Maltese individuals.
- Malta and Libya condemn illegal immigration, but that's it.
- Everyone is happy.
Remember, that's just a dream.
Will we ever get to know how far this dream is from reality......
It is only through talks that something can be achieved. For goodness sake, let's grow up!
Nice to see that even the PN goverment makes U TURNS for the sake of our country
Hope that our delegation comes with good news about oil and illegal immigration .
As previous old days meetings of our previous Prime Minister Mintoff, helped by Foreign minister Alex Sceberras Trigona,us to florish for our country
"They could help us with the illegal immigration issue"?
They are the PROBLEM so they should not simply help us, but take back all the illegal immigrants that they have regurgitated to our shores.
"...in old days friends."
Ah yes, the good old days. The days when Mintoff proclaimed Libyans as our "blood brothers." The days when the Labour government made Arabic compulsory for all schools. The days when Libya effectively stole OUR oil in OUR territory. So no thank you, these people were never my friends and they never will be.
I never cease to be amazed at the naivety of some of the Maltese population...
For goodness sake, immigration is not the only issue in the country. There are other important issues which our gov much take into account such as the deficit, inflation, tapping EU funds, protect the environment, reduce work time, etc..
Expected to be discussed?????
They should have been discussed before ANY other "issues" and "discussions"!!!
They finally remembered that our neighbours and in old days friends, have oil .
Friends in old days cause this government didn’t want anything to do with Libya and Col Gaddafi !!
I want to stress out that they are geographically our neighbours and we must be friends with them , not just for mere opportunity .They could also help us with the illegal immigrants issue .