Friday, 20th March 2009 - 19:03CET
Malta, Libya, reach search and rescue agreement
An AFM patrol boat embarking migrants rescued by a cargo ship in the waters between Libya and Malta.
Malta and Libya have signed a memorandum of understanding on search and rescue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this evening.
"The memorandum of understanding is inspired by the desire of Malta and Libya to further promote the friendly relations between them and the necessity of improving the safety of life at sea in the Mediterranean basin conscious of the great importance of rendering assistance to persons in distress at and over the sea and also the establishment of adequate and effective arrangements for search and rescue services," the ministry said.T
he MoU provides that both countries coordinate, cooperate and support each other for search and rescue operations within their respective search and rescue regions (SRRs). Both sides also agreed to authorize their Rescue Coordination Centre to request assistance via the rescue centre of the other country and to provide all information on the distress situation in their respective Search and Rescue Region.
The Memorandum also provides for joint search and rescue training for inter-operability purposes, exchange of visits and training at the AFM SAR Training centre apart from periodic meetings of representatives of both sides to ensure continued, enhanced cooperation.
Foreign Minister Tonio Borg last week discussed illegal immigration in Rome and said that shuld Libya and Italy start joint patrols in Libyan waters, Malta was prepared to offer the participation of AFM personnel. To date all anti-immigration patrols have been held in international waters.
Dr Borg also said that talks were expected to be held in the coming days between Libyan ministers, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici and himself.
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Comments
Is this in line with the Burden Sharing Agreement that no other EU Country wants to share?! Now Malta is caught between a rock and a hard place. Up till now we had Italy in the north with their navy and airforce identifying Illegal Immigrants' boats and telling us that they are in our Search and Rescue area. NOW we also have Libya in the south to do just the same.
To make matters worse, our SMART government may be considering a power link to Italy, thus playing into the Italians' hand by placing our negotiating strength in a precarious position.
GonziPN has lied to too many for too long on too many subjects. The "soda bottle" has been open for too long and all the "bubbles" are long gone. All that is left is the illusion of grandeur bolstered by their "l'il elves" who plod away on the keyboard to paint anything that happens in rosy colours!
@Gianninu : Can you give us your opinion on what do you think will be the european elections results?
Joe Borg didn't even remind me of Chamberlain coming down from the aircraft waving his bit of paper because what they agreed to was "The memorandum of understanding is inspired by the desire of Malta and Libya to further promote the friendly relations between them and the necessity of improving the safety of life at sea in the Mediterranean basin conscious of the great importance of rendering assistance to persons in distress at and over the sea and also the establishment of adequate and effective arrangements for search and rescue services,"
Why wasn't the memorandum published in its entirety?
Where's the beef?
@Paul Bonnici
Please get your facts rights before opine.
Quote:
‘‘Look what the Libyans did to Mintoff after he let them build the Corradino Mosque which in my opinion should never have been built in the first place.’
What the government is doing is a step forward, despite the fact that we have been taken for a big ride by our “EU brothers”. Libya never said they are going or willing to help us with illegal immigrants. So, we should appreciate the fact that they were honest. No harm if we give a try.
Actually the pain is double when we failed from what supposed to be our EU’ brothers
The Mosque vs. the Church.
Are you aware that we have the 150-year-old Maria Immacolata church in Benghazi, Libya? So, for the Libyan to have a 20 years old Mosque in Malta isn’t an issue at all, yet its a long overdue obligation I presume.
The only people we can trust is ourselves and not our government and not some foreign govt.; especially Libyans. Help with search and rescue? Since when in Libyan history have they ever rescued anyone?
After all it was only after Nelson Mandela put moral pressure on Gaddafi that Gaddafi accepted CIVIL responsibility for the Lockerbie Bombing and agreed to pay $2.7 billion compensation to the families of the Lockerbie victims.
The deal also involved that the United Nations would not press Criminal Charges against Gaddafi
A combination of UN sanctions since 1992 and Moral Diplomacy from the respected figure of Nelson Mandela forced Gaddafi to hand over the two Libyan suspects involved in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 which resulted in the deaths of 270 innocent people.
Of course it took 15 years to reach this compromise and the UN lifted the sanctions against Libya on September 12, 2003.
Frank Portelli MD FRCS(Ed)
2BFrank4U
Sounds like the Burden sharing agreement.
"The Memorandum also provides for joint search and rescue training for inter-operability purposes, exchange of visits and training at the AFM SAR Training centre apart from periodic meetings of representatives of both sides to ensure continued, enhanced cooperation."
No wonder they Libyans could never assist or intercept any of these boats, after all these years they don't have enough expertise to undergo such exercises? Why would they expect the Maltese to provide such service?
Now besides Italy, we have another strong neighbour telling us were the distress call is coming from and now they the Libjans I mean will taxi them to Malta as the Italians tried to do a few days ago!!!
Kullhadd jghaddina biz zmien u sadanitant ahna ma nistghu naghmlu xejn biex il burden sharing jitwettaq fil prattika u mhux VOLONTARJAMENT!!!!
Now, besides the Italians, we shall have the Libyans telling us exactly where the boats are so that we 'save' them. Malta will be the only place for them to go. They will be coaxed towards our SAR zone and bingo.
Il-bahnan taqlghalu ghajnu jifrah.
Possible you are one of those you don;t received any tariffs bills at all or you got friends of friends top class job .
Your political party lost the realty with the common and middle class citizens and they only now think about their pockets Mr Saliba and think before you speak up
April fool came 2 weeks early this year! Libya will never cooperate with Malta or the EU, they are all just talk and no substance, time will tell of course.
Look what the Libyans did to Mintoff after he let them build the Corradino Mosque which in my opinion should never have been built in the first place. And what about the Libyan patrol boats which threatened Maltese interests in Maltese territorial waters?