Kurt Sansone
Gaddafi to visit in March
'Libya is grateful'
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would visit Malta in March, Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa said yesterday.
The Libyan minister was speaking at a press conference with his counterpart, Tonio Borg following the 26th meeting of the Malta-Libya joint commission.
The last time Col Gaddafi visited Malta was in the mid-1980s. President George Abela extended an invitation for the Libyan leader to visit the island during a state visit to Tripoli last September.
Talks held during commission meetings over the past two days touched a range of issues, including investment, education, illegal immigration and health.
Although no formal agreements were reached, Dr Borg and Mr Kousa signed the minutes of the meetings, held on an annual basis to maintain an ongoing dialogue between the two countries.
Asked about talks on the possibility of joint oil exploration in disputed offshore areas, Dr Borg said the file on the matter was "active" but refrained from giving any details.
"Tripartite talks between Malta, Libya and Italy on joint oil exploration in contested areas are ongoing on the basis of a framework presented by Malta. The file is active, not dead," Dr Borg said.
Both ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress made through the nomination of Libyan and Maltese liaison officers in relation to drug trafficking and organised crime.
Later in the afternoon, Mr Kousa had a brief meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi at Castille.
Journalists were only allowed in for the first few minutes of the meeting during which Mr Kousa said Libya was grateful for the advance warning Malta had given Libya in 1986 when US airplanes bombed Col Gaddafi's residence.
Then Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici had informed the Libyan authorities that US military planes had passed through Maltese air space and were heading towards Libya.
The warning gave the Libyan leader time to escape the attack unharmed.
Dr Gonzi welcomed the announcement of Col Gaddafi's visit and insisted it was important for both countries to maintain good relations.
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Carmel Bayliss
Mar 17th 2011, 15:29
Is it wise to bring Gaddafi over at the moment? With the Civil War (and nothing else) at hand this could be a problem for our country. Remember there are Libyans in Malta who oppose strongly Gaddafi. What if there would be something or other during the visit. I will not mention anything but it is obvious. And another thing, I for one do not want to have to be controlled from entering places in my own country because somebody who might be a target is coming over. Please reschedule.
Mario Camilleri
Jan 23rd 2010, 08:14
@Nick Borg. That's what I thought. I was right!! Nobody can or will answer my question, so did you.....Past...Present...Future, it doesn't matter, they all go down in history. The only thing I do better than you is that I look back in my past to see and know where I stand today, at present, so that I would evade any mistakes and try to do better in the future. That is reality!!
lgalea
Jan 21st 2010, 23:58
J Martinelli When you live here and know the facts not what you are fed through the USA propaganda machine then you will be able to understand that what you have been and is being fed is a pack of lies by the western media.
wally vella-zarb
Jan 21st 2010, 17:29
Mr Martinelli expects that Colonel Gaddafi "should be courteous enough not to remind us or the US of the events of 1986!" I would imagine that Mr Martinelli would also prefer not to be reminded of the break-in at a Heathrow warehouse, where the Lockerbie bomb was planted - which break-in and its relevance was hushed up in the ensuing farcical 'jury'. He would, quite probably, also prefer to forget the destruction of a civilian Iranian aeroplane 'by mistake', or the shooting down of an Italian airliner over the island of Ustica. It is commonly accepted that a missile, destined for another plane that was to be carrying Colonel Gaddafi, erroneously locked on to the Italian plane that happened to be in the wrong place at the 'right' time.
Nick Borg
Jan 21st 2010, 14:04
@ Mario Camilleri Let me guess ... PL supporter? Maybe you need to learn how to read before you start shooting off... The President invited Gaddafi... Not the PN... And anyway, who really gives a .... You seem to be so poisoned with hate for each other. What does it achieve? Try doing something positive instead of negative - just for a change! If both sides worked together Malta would be truly great but instead you all act like children bickering over who said and did what.... Grow up!
Ronald Zammit
Jan 21st 2010, 13:50
Veru li jinbidlu iz-zmienijiet u Alla hares ma jkunx hekk, pero ma ninsew qatt kif tal PN kienu jitkellem fuq Gaddafi u libjani fi zmien il gvern ta' Mintoff ! Min jaf issa jekk hux ser jibatuh lura fi xkora!!! kif kienu xtaqu li jaghmlu dak iz-zmien. Gaddafi kien il bniedem li ghejna hafna wara li il PN kienu hallew il pajjiz bla sold (Bankrupt ) u Mintoff lanqas kellu biex ihallas lil impjegati tal gvern u il problema kien solvijilu Gaddafi sakemm Mintoff beda jibni il pajjiz litiralment mil bidu u gabna fuq saqajna. Dawn huma il fatti li hadd ma jista jinnega. Din hijja parti zghira hafna mil istorja glorjuza tal PN!!!!!!
J Martinelli
Jan 21st 2010, 13:43
Thanking the wrong nation?
According to a well informed former Minister of that era, it was Italy who informed Gaddafi first and why for all these years KMB had the doubtful distinction of being the 'hero', amongst his own, is beyond comprehension.
Malta can do without Libya's thanks, but then one must remember that in those days Malta preferred to befriend the North Africa nation and Eastern Communist states.
Gaddafi will do well not to include his 'thanks' in any speech he delivers to the Maltese people. His visit is only a courtesy accorded to him and he should be courteous enough not to remind us or the US of the events of 1986!
DVella
Jan 21st 2010, 12:05
Grateful are they?? Then the very least they could do is get their act together and start dealing with the thousands of illegal immigrants leaving from their shore and invading Europe instead of just paying lip service, asking for more money and doing nothing!!!!
Mario Camilleri
Jan 21st 2010, 12:00
I'm very much surprised and curious why hasn't any PN supporter, activist and the Times contributors that used to criticize Gaddafi and nickname the Libyans say or write anything now that the PN has invited Colonel Gaddafi to Malta since his last visit in 1984.
Times change and eventually when you spit in the air, it comes back at your face. Hypocrisy is the alternative name to PN.