Malta, Libya, reach search and rescue agreement

J.Scicluna

Mar 21st 2009, 10:20

What a victory! (sic)

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!

malcolm azzopardi

Mar 21st 2009, 09:59

another useless memorandum!!! Unless Libya closes its borders we are going to have the same problem with illegal immigration.

I Vella

Mar 21st 2009, 08:30

Prosit tassew Dr. Gonzi - pass il-quddiem u tlieta lura!

@Gianninu : Can you give us your opinion on what do you think will be the european elections results?

L.Galea

Mar 21st 2009, 08:01

"Malta and Libya have signed a memorandum of understanding on search and rescue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this evening."
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?

Edward Brincat

Mar 21st 2009, 02:09

@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.

JPVELLA

Mar 21st 2009, 02:04

Are YOU kidding? Do YOU honestly think that Libya has our best interest at heart? Do YOU think that their signing a piece of paper means anything to them? They are not people of honor and principle. They haven't a clue.

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?

Frank Portelli 2BFRANK

Mar 21st 2009, 01:45

So Moral Pressure may be starting to produce results with Gaddafi

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

Ronnie Gauci

Mar 21st 2009, 01:41

The usual joke!

Charles J Buttigieg

Mar 20th 2009, 23:55

So now Libya will search for them and our AFM WILL RESQUE THEM.

Sounds like the Burden sharing agreement.

jimmy vella

Mar 20th 2009, 22:49

all Libya will do now is drop these illegals into our SAR phone us up and then hang up .

edwin formosa

Mar 20th 2009, 22:48

Ghandek ragun sur Charles Sammut . Rebha ta veru trid tkun bhal tal-Partnership jew tal-Gvern Laburista Gdid bi 15,000 vot minn fuq.

Kaydee Zammit

Mar 20th 2009, 22:26

Useless memorandum. Why are you so happy about this? There's nothing binding or useful!

Alexander Morana

Mar 20th 2009, 22:12

What's the big hurray about? Just a a memorandum of understanding, not a tangible agreement. Even so the Libyans will start telling us where they are and when they left so we can go and pick them up. Yeah lets trust the Libyans.
"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?

victor vella

Mar 20th 2009, 21:52

The Libyans just signed it to keep the Maltese goverment happy.

S.Cutajar

Mar 20th 2009, 21:51

BINGO!!!!!

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!!!!

Charles Sammut

Mar 20th 2009, 21:18

If you consider this a "victory" then a bullet in the head is winning at Russian roulette!

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.

mike pace

Mar 20th 2009, 21:17

Gianninu, you will have the answers in June with the polls
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

Paul Bonnici

Mar 20th 2009, 21:15

A memorandum of understanding with Libya! It is not worth the paper it was drafted on. Let's no kid ourselves.

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?

James Sultana

Mar 20th 2009, 20:59

@Gianninu Saliba: Can you kindly explain to us WHERE THE HECK IS THE VICTORY YOU ARE JUMPING WITH JOY ? Its a memorandum of understanding and not an obligatory pact ... It just mentions co-operation, training, blah blah, blah blah ... BUT NOWHERE I READ THAT LIBYA ARE OBLIGED TO TAKE THEM BACK, OR TO TAKE THEM TO LIBYA IF THEY ARE IN THEIR ZONE..... Its just another blah blah of a lot of talk and little substance blown to hysteria by the spin doctors and the pn bloggists ! Tonio Borg would have done better to be in Malta when the EC commissioner was here, rather than go to meet the Pope for photosessions as if the President and family didn`t know how to do it on their own. I`m waiting for the day when the Maltese authorities say: There is a boat of illegal immigrants 20 miles off Libya and we ARE NOT GOING TO HELP THEM BECAUSE LIBYA AGREED TO TAKE THEM.

A Camilleri

Mar 20th 2009, 20:46

J.Spiteri

Mar 20th 2009, 20:45

Is this just a search and rescue agreement? When a boatload of immigrants is intercepted and rescued in Maltese territorial waters, which country is obliged to take these people, Malta or Libya? If their point of departure is a Libyan port, one assumes that they are to be returned to the Libyan authorities, right? If, on the contrary, they are Malta's responsibility, what could prevent the Libyans from directing these boats to our waters? If this agreement does not specifically say that they are to be handed over to the Libyan authorities,then, in my opinion, its not worth the paper its written on. We will still be burdened by their arrivals.

t abela

Mar 20th 2009, 20:29

@giannu saliba dik rebha ghax ma gholewx il medicini. Rebha kieku rahsu kif gejnba imwieghda.

v.pulis

Mar 20th 2009, 20:23

I'll believe it when I see it. We have been this way before and nothing happened. hopefully this time libya acts according to the agreement. We'll wait and see. I am not blaming the Maltese government whose only fault is in that it trusts too much certain countries.

Sam Caligari

Mar 20th 2009, 19:57

At last, some good news. No co-incidence but fruits of hard diplomatic work carried out behind the scenes. definitely not the result of some prima donnaing by a particular ex-Foreign Minister, well known for wearing hats of royal navy seaman. Well done Tonio Borg, keep up your good quiet work. we're behind you and whoever works seriously in the best interests of the country

joseph micallef

Mar 20th 2009, 19:48

Good news indeed. Go to the source of the problem and find the best way of tackling it. That's good government for you. While others get hysterical, work slowly and steadily to get there suely. PROSIT foreign affairs people.

michael callus

Mar 20th 2009, 19:43

definitely a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. A rational and reasoned result of negotiation and diplomacy, definitely more effective than ranting and fanning more panic flames. Well done whoever is responsible (no pun intended) and keep it up.

lzammit

Mar 20th 2009, 19:43

Rome was not built in a day. With Gonzi's par idejn sodi, naslu fejn irridu.

Joe Sammut (Ta' Harrbat)

Mar 20th 2009, 19:39

This SAR-agreement is a step in the right direction, as it engages the Libyan authorities in assuming some sort of commitment & responsibility for whatever cases of distress these illegal immigrants find themselves in. The fact that the AFM's valid work of its core cadre of SAR-professionals has achieved this when and where other nations have failed, is a feather in Malta's cap which must be further capitalised to attempt putting a definite stop to illegal migrant departures from the Libyan coasts. If Libya wants to return to the international floor of nations, it must appreciate that it is only in this collaborative/transparent manner that it will achieve the respectability it is craving so much for. Over the years, Libya was Malta's best friend in terms of investments and other. Why shouldn't it now demonstrate its gratitude for having had a friend in Europe when its regime was shuned by the block of the Western world? If the recent diplomatic overtures of leading nations like the USA, France, and italy haven't yet jolted the sleeping Libyans, one is obliged to only speculate what will. Libya must kick start things by helping reduce DRASTICALLY the net arrivals of migrants in Europe.

Gianninu Saliba

Mar 20th 2009, 19:38

It appears that this is the third Gonzipn victory in one week... the VAT on medicine was number one, the twenty five million euros energy funds is number two and now this one. Come on Joseph say something.

J Farrugia

Mar 20th 2009, 19:14

nittama li l-libjani mhux jghaddu z-zmien bina bhal ma ghamlu lit-taljani.