Borg insists Iran sanctions still allow ships to enter freeport
Video: Mark Zammit Cordina
Foreign Minister Tonio Borg reiterated today that EU and UN sanctions against Iran to do not prohibit Iranian ships from entering the territorial waters of EU member states.
Business by Iranian shipping companies accounts for nearly 10% of throughput at Malta Freeport.
Speaking at a meeting with Maltese ambassadors resident abroad, Dr Borg said EU and UN sanctions called for closer scrutiny and monitoring of cargo carried on Iranian-owned ships and the freezing of financial assets of Iranian companies, including IRISIL.
The Maltese government, he said, was already giving legal force to those obligations.
A legal notice published yesterday provides that it shall be unlawful for citizens of Malta, companies registered in Malta, or vessels or aircraft using the Maltese flag, to engage in any commercial activity with Iran involving uranium mining, production or use of nuclear materials and technology as designated by the IAEA.
Any funds, other financial assets and economic resources which are in Malta and are owned or controlled directly or indirectly by Iran or persons or companies acting on its behalf shall be immediately frozen and it shall be unlawful for anyone in Malta make available any funds, financial assets or economic resources to or for the benefit of such persons
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albert leone ganado
Jul 29th 2010, 12:51
Sanctions against IRAN are a useless tool which will only exacerbate the problems in the region and will have no long term effect on IRAN's intention to achieve a nuclear standing.
Such sanctions will only push IRAN into the clutches of China and India the next economic giants who desperately need a long term strategic source of gas and oil. Let us remember that IRAN has the second largest reserves of this essential asset. China and India can supply IRAN with all its needs and only us Europeans will ultimately lose.
The US has had tough sanctions against IRAN since the 1979 hostage taking affair and such sanctions have only helped to build the internal technological capability of IRAN and create a consensus in IRAN in seeing the US as Satan's disciple.
Where has the art of good old fashioned diplomacy and dialogue gone which is what in the long term achieves tangible results rather than yielding an ineffective stick.
Let us hope we are not being misled about IRANs' nuclear intentions as we were with the tragic fantasy of IRAQ's weapons of mass destruction. Another trillion dollar war will sound the economic demise of the west
Alexander Morana
Jul 28th 2010, 18:00
Today a Japanese oil tanker was attacked (unknown) source, in the Straits of Hormoz? Venezuela threatened to stop all oil supplies to the USA. Just an oil stock listed in my portfolio jumped 11%,this morning. CNE Colombian exploration........ Recently French British and US Navy units held sea games in the Eastern Med. Canada just slapped more sanctions on Iran. Not that Canada does any business with Iran as much as Malta does with Canada! Let alone with Iran.
The EU reluctantly joined the US to slap these sanctions. That's why S-Sur Joe Borg is saying what he is saying? Why one might ask? try and connect all the dots in the room. Are these what things to come - autumn, attack on Iran and watch the price of oil shoot higher that the surface -to air -missiles?
Joe Zammit
Jul 28th 2010, 16:26
Dr Tonio Borg is the Minister for Foreign Affairs. So he is the man to speak about the latest sanctions against Iran. He has wisely seen the Malta - Iran relations in view of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 (2010). His words have been meticulously said.
Jesmond Micallef
Jul 28th 2010, 15:08
My comment will relate to the video clip shown above.
A few years back now but the current Italian Prime Minister, Sig. Silvio Berlusconi made fun at a German Socialist MEP at the European Parliament regarding Germany's past. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder found this apparent joke to be offensive and cancelled his holiday in Tuscany that same year. They both made up after this "incident". Earlier this year, British MEP Mr. Nigel Farrage had a go at the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy. He was fined nearly 3000 € for not appologising for his rudeness.
Being called a terrorist while at work by a local "monkey" in europes ex nazi capital is pretty much offending to me, if not psychologically harrowing too. !! Maybe he just wanted to have fun like Sig .Berlusconi or Mr. Farrage.
Furthermore, Maltese poeple working abroad with employment contracts relating to local laws should maybe be supported by the Maltese Embassies somehow. Situations may arise which would require good legal assistance most especially within cultures that are "stubornly proud" - Kind of "don't play anybody's game" type of cultures.
Malta is physically small. Some nations are much bigger physically, but emotionally smaller.
Joe Zammit
Jul 28th 2010, 16:42
Jesmond, remember also that when the United Nations Security Council issues a Resolution, all countries must adopt that Resolution. And there is also a limited time for that adoption. Malta is one of the countries of the United Nations. As such, Malta has always adopted these Resolutions whether against Iran, Ivory Coast, Somalia, North Korea, etc. We cannot ignore the UN Resolution. Sometimes more than one Resolution are issued against the same country, as in the case of Iran.
JM Camilleri
Jul 28th 2010, 13:46
seems the government can simply not get it right for some people. If ship movements decline, the government is to blame. shipbuilding closes down, again the government is to blame...but hang on...shipbuilding depends on ships moving into malta for maintenance....would the ex-workers at shipbuilding care whether the ship was from Iran or any other distant land? would they have refused their salary if the funds came from work on an Iranian ship...maybe this is the attitude that brought about the demise of such a large organisation with enormous potential...
Joe Zammit
Jul 28th 2010, 16:47
Mr Camilleri, read the United Nations Security Council Resolution against Iran (Further Sanctions) before you put pen to paper. The UN Resolution is there and Malta, as one of the countries of the UN, MUST adopt the Resolution, in this case, against Iran. Of course, all the details of the Resolution must be observed and no Iranian ship in breach of the Resolution can cross our territorial seas.
R Spiteri
Jul 28th 2010, 13:05
@ joe borg & d vella
Why are you attacking the Government even on this one?!!
The Freeport in Malta carries out business with Iranian ships. Maltese employees earn their living from this enterprise. Maltese families benefit from this business.
The Government was succesful to secure that this business does not stop...hence ensuring that the Maltese families relying on wages derived from the Freeport, do not face difficulties.
So why do you also want to attack such positive news?!
Donnu li iktar kemm jinbidlu l-affarijiet, kollox jibqa' l-istess....dejjem ingergru...excuse me for quoting Varist Bartolo
Joe Grima
Jul 28th 2010, 12:59
Admit it! Bringing problematic Iran into a Malta/Mediterranean/European contect was a mindless political act entered into without proper consideration by people who knew nothing about foreign affairs and foreign policy. The link with Iran was not an act by the Foreign Minsiter of teh time but by a Miniister I think responsible for trade. Trade is one thing. Iranian poltiics is another and there is nothing about Iranian leaderships in which politics are not prominently present. . I was special envoy to Iran for several years and I know that mentality well. It is the mentality of a rotweiller that spends a lifetime barking at and biting others. There is no rationale in the reasoning that results from it . That behaviour is also suscepitible to sudden bursts of extreme violence when the powerful feel threatened. The colour of blood is revered in that country. So much so that the most prominent statue in the huge Teheran cemetery is one the height and size of our 8th September monument , but this one, covered in blood red paint from head to toe.
Robert Agius
Jul 28th 2010, 13:34
And that ladies and gentlemen is the definition of stereotype.
'That behaviour is also suscepitible to sudden bursts of extreme violence when the powerful feel threatened. The colour of blood is revered in that country' - are you sure you're talking about Iran here? cause it sounds as though you are talking about the yanks...but of course, those are a different lot. It's OK to do business and keep contact with those blood thirsty.... oops, fell into the same old trap as you did....
Joe Grima
Jul 28th 2010, 13:58
Robert Agius: Every powerful counttry has its downside. Just follow what's being commented world wide about the release of the Pentagion papers in connection with the goings-on in Afghanistan. Do you think that I think the American administration, present or Bush's are the epitomy or propriety? Nno country is. But bavijg visited Iran so many times and having dealt with different Ministers and officials there when I was purchasing Oil and trading it for Malta-made products as the Prime Minister's special envoy, I got to know the country and its people reasonably well. There is a huge difference between ordinary Iranians and people in power. Power there is God and is wielded like a samurai sword over everybody's head. If what I said about Iran as I know it is stereotyping then so be it. Under Ahmadinejad, this should not be a country we should be having anything to do with except diplomatically and through the EU, that is unless yoiu are particularly intrerested in Pistacchios, lobsters or caviar, all of which they have in great abuundance.
Robert Agius
Jul 28th 2010, 18:53
Fair enough. I still find it curious that choose to use your energy against the Iranian powers and not the yanks. I mean no matter how you put it. The Americans have been the biggest terrorists for the past 50 years the world over. However,silence everyone. Let us all ignore their hidden agenda which i find to be worse than the Iranians. Greed AND religion. Toynbee, a famous historian, predicted that the war in the future (now) would be about religion. You would like to think that the Americans have nothing to do with this. I beg to differ. But i repeat. The Americans are the untouchables. Why so? because as you say, no nation is perfect (of course they fail to tell their citizens this). Lets them just find a scapegoat. Quite useful in this case since it is the Americans after all who are trying to rebuild the middle-eastern map (and while you are at it, remind us which country HAS nuclear WEAPONS Joe?)
Shame on the USA, Shame on the EU and shame on the ALL others who are not after any good deeds but only making friends....not of the nicest kind, but very very convenient.
joe borg
Jul 28th 2010, 12:53
ahajr jaghlaq halqu l-ministru................ ma jafx bizzejjed kemm ahna zaghar u hadd ma jaqbez ghalina ghax insinjifikanti.
nofs - niskwart ta bomba lanqas isibuna ............ mela kompli parla fil-vojt habib.
jew ahjar tizzattatx u tipprova titkellem kif jitkellmu l-kbar ghax dawk ghandhom il-poter u lilna dejjem ihalluna bil-konsegwenzi
D Vella
Jul 28th 2010, 12:44
If those ships have nothing to carry,they won't be coming in. Simple as that really. I wonder why the Minister hasn't grasped this one,or has he?
Joe Zammit
Jul 28th 2010, 16:57
Mr Vella, you are missing the point. Probably, you don't know about the last United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 (2010) against Iran (Further Sanctions). Read it first and then you will understand the why and wherefore of Dr Tonio Borg's wise words. The Resolution touches on different items that can come out of Iran or somehow can head for Iran. Our Foreign Minister is glad that the last EU and UN sanctions against Iran have not hit Iranian ships from entering our territorial waters.