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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a.cassar
Aug 1st 2008, 18:34
@Ethelbert Schembri.
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)
JoeVella
Aug 1st 2008, 18:28
Whatever spin you want to give it, the fact remains tht it was the PN that opened diplomatic relations with Libya.
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.
Ethelbert Schembri
Aug 1st 2008, 15:51
@ Joe Vella
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 !
Alexander Morana
Aug 1st 2008, 15:08
@ Mario Camilleri,
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.
Joe Vella
Aug 1st 2008, 12:39
@ Ethelbert Schembri
No my friend, YOU ARE WRONG. Malta established Diplomatic Relations with Libya on June 11th, 1965.
a.cassar
Aug 1st 2008, 11:59
@Charles Busuttil So the friendly colonel is getting his own back by crucifying ALL the maltese for something that was said 30 years ago by an individual!!! Wow! that's friendship and brotherhood for you. this is similar to the reasoning(?) by Joe Galea when he wrote that Joe mizzi will not tell where we can find oil because Gonzi would get the cedit! what if we promised to erect a statue to Joe Mizzi once we strike black gold?
Denis Bartolo
Aug 1st 2008, 06:03
I like the subjects listed by Alex Farrugia that should have priority for this Goverment.
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.
Joseph W. Galea
Aug 1st 2008, 02:37
@R.Gatt
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.
Ivan Attard
Aug 1st 2008, 00:17
Gaddafi just blew hot air promises (as usual) into EFA's face. What a pitiful spectacle our political class has been transformed into.
Charles Busuttil
Jul 31st 2008, 23:41
Do you remember when Col. Gaddafi was called tal-habbaziz and accused of soiling our parlaiment by his presence in the said place. Some bravu Pepp PN member also suggested that we should put Gaddafi in a sack and ship him back to Libya. I do not think that Gaddafi has forgotten all this. I bet they had humble pie for lunch.
victor vella
Jul 31st 2008, 22:02
@ Jimmy Magro Are you the same Jimmy that was secretary general of the MLP? If the answer is in the affirmative the you do know what Libya wants. Regarding Joe Mizzi allegations that he knows where the oil is come on we had been told in the sixties where the oil is and maybe Joe Mizzi was referring to the same place ie: the oil is in city gate terminus , cause with all the oil leaking from the buses over the time that the terminus has been there I believe that there is a vast deposit of oil enough to keep Malta going for a month . Let's cut all the bla bla and thank god that something is happening between Libya and Malta. I do not believe that there would ever be any agreement , but at least they have tried.
charles caruana carabez
Jul 31st 2008, 20:22
The comments I am reading are well below any expected standard. Contributors are degenerating this serious issue to a political shouting match. Right now, on the RAI 3 radio programme 'zapping', a common italian citizen has claimed we are re-victualling the invading boats and sending them on to Sicily. We cannot be divided among ourselves when even our neighbours have no sympathy for our plight. I think it is disgraceful to participate in a political slanging match when the political angle should concern the exposure of the Libyan villainy, as an Italian lady Senator has just done on the same programme; she is starting a hunger strike next Saturday, and hopes to go to LIbya for a face-off with the Colonel. That is much more concrete than this pathetic and provincial rivalry. The best contributor was Mr Adrian Pace.
Joe Xuereb
Jul 31st 2008, 15:05
@ Joe Galea
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
jimmy magro
Jul 31st 2008, 13:31
instead of writing all this nonsense, sparing me of using the bull word, why don't you wite something making little sense. I think it is only correct the the Malta Government issue a public statement giving all the objections that Libya has on joint-oil-drilling in the disputed territory. After all it may be one of the demands of our same government that is holding back the Libyans from giving us the final say of a pure yes, let us go and do it together like friends and brothers.
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
R.Spagnol
Jul 31st 2008, 12:35
A.Cassar should know that in this same month the Pn government signed a contract for the exploration and production of oil and gas. So nobody from the Nationalist's part needs Joe Mizzi to tell him where lies the black gold.
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!!
Adrian Pace
Jul 31st 2008, 12:07
Gaddafi's been playing cat and mouse with us since the eighties...why bother? He has bargaining power and we do not...and to top it all up since a visa was imposed on Libyan Nationals after joining the EU, his payback theme was illegal immigration.
R. Gatt
Jul 31st 2008, 09:39
L. Galea, this Mr Ed as you so idiotically call him, turned your leaders Mintoff , KMB and Sant into clowns at election time - time and again.
Joe Galea
Jul 31st 2008, 08:03
A. Cassar: precisely if Labour was returned to power he would bring it up. Labour always believed in it. Our beloved president when he was Leader of the PN in 1998 pre-election mass meeting @ Luxol, illuminated the present mass that OIL IN MALTA does not exist..and the intelligent present mass woooed and cheered to the revelation...like "Haha haha we don't have oil, we don't have oil...la la la la".....to ridicule A. Sant.
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.
Ethelbert Schembri
Jul 31st 2008, 00:31
@ Mr Joe Vella
Yes my friend you are very much mistaken !!
L Galea
Jul 30th 2008, 21:20
Mr Ed
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.
a.cassar
Jul 30th 2008, 21:08
If an agreement is reached regarding oil exploration let's not forget that Mr. Joe Mizzi MLP whip has been on record saying that he knew where oil was located and that if labour was returned to power he would 'bring it up' now he has a chance to show his love for malta and indicate where it is!
Joe Vella
Jul 30th 2008, 19:06
@ a.cassar
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.
Joe Vella
Jul 30th 2008, 19:03
@ Ethelbert Shembri
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.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Jul 30th 2008, 18:52
Well, lets see the positives, at least our dear Friend, Gadaffi, did not leave our President waiting for hours on end like he did when he last met our Prime Minister, Dr Gonzi. Forgottem that have we? After that little tecnhical glitch, we were all told that massIve improvements have been made. All this, for the benefit of those with temporary amnesia, just a couple of years ago.
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.
a.cassar
Jul 30th 2008, 18:42
@Ethelbert Schembri. This dispute needlessly provoked by Libya is an act befitting one's greatest enemy (Malta govt statement DOI 27.8.80)
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.
A
Jul 30th 2008, 18:22
I can't understand what Social Policy has to do with all this.
Ethelbert Schembri
Jul 30th 2008, 17:10
@ P Debono
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 !!!
John Saliba
Jul 30th 2008, 16:46
Mr. Schembri fell for it. Usually socialists do not want to raise isues pertaining to the past, but this time, because he thought it suited him, he did. So let me remind him of the past. It was Dom Mintoff who clashed with his best buddy, Muammar Gaddafi. Guess what, it was all about oil exploration. Shame, it's a socialist problem, they tend to forget. That's why they keep on voting Labour, their memory goes into a blink. It's called political insomnia. They do not remember that every single Labour government either resigned because they couldn't get things right or, when they hung on to power, they became irresponsible and Malta's darkest years became their doing.
J Martinelli
Jul 30th 2008, 15:22
There are things in life that one would want to do and others which one would have to do. There is a great difference between the two scenarios.
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.
Mario Camilleri
Jul 30th 2008, 15:17
@ P Debono. How come in all these years we still did not succeed to find oil? we are surrounded with oil producing countries such as libya, tunisia and italy and we are so unlucky not to find oil? or maybe there other interests at stake?
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!!!
Martin Büttner
Jul 30th 2008, 14:49
Old friends meet.
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......
Anthony Sammut
Jul 30th 2008, 14:45
Must we always see the glass half empty and never consider it half full?
It is only through talks that something can be achieved. For goodness sake, let's grow up!
Rita Spiteri
Jul 30th 2008, 14:31
Will the usual bloggers be doing any reminiscing about the bad old 70's &80's when Mintoff used to say this or that,But this time try to remember what Eddie F.A.used to say about Gaddafi and his people.
antoine vella
Jul 30th 2008, 14:19
Isn t the same person that back in the 80s was called"tal habaziz"from the nationalist!?!
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
P Debono
Jul 30th 2008, 14:06
@ Ethelbert Schembri
"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...
Alex Farrugia
Jul 30th 2008, 13:55
@C Damato
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..
emmanuel zammt
Jul 30th 2008, 13:20
let us hope this visit will bring us something Real good!!Not just talks!!!
C Damato
Jul 30th 2008, 13:08
"....... Other issues expected to be discussed include illegal immigration......"
Expected to be discussed?????
They should have been discussed before ANY other "issues" and "discussions"!!!
Ethelbert Schembri
Jul 30th 2008, 12:33
WELCOME !
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 .