Malta still seeking joint oil exploration

Malta is exerting diplomatic pressure on Italy and Libya to discuss its proposal for a tripartite oil exploration agreement for those areas of the Mediterranean which are being contested by the three countries.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg told Parliament that last year he had made a joint exploration proposal to both the Italian and the Libyan governments. Malta was urging the other governments to come to the negotiating table to discuss this proposal.

He said that Malta was in favour of joint exploration because this avoided reference to the International Court of Justice and without prejudice to any presumed rights, the countries could arrive at an amicable way to exploit resources and leave the theoretical issue of sovereignty unprejudiced.

Dr Borg was answering a series of supplementary questions by Labour MP Joe Mizzi. He said that there were three contested zones to the east of Malta. One was an area contested by Malta and Libya east of the area about which the International Court took a delineation decision in 1985. There was another strip contested by Malta, Italy and Libya and another area being contested by Malta and Italy.

JOINT EXPLORATION WITH TUNISIA

In reply to the original question by Evarist Bartolo (PL) the minister said that the Joint Experts Group formed between Malta and Tunisia to identify zones where there could be joint oil exploration, had met four times between April and July of 2006. The issue was also raised in talks with the Tunisian Foreign Affairs Minister in May 2007, May 2009 and June this year – the last two meetings within the framework of the Malta-Tunisia joint commission.

After the state visit by then President Fenech Adami, Malta and Tunisia signed a declaration of intent pledging to work to start joint exploration. Talks were then started to see how this declaration could lead to a proper agreement.

Dr Borg would not go into details of the difficulties encountered in the talks with the Tunisians because, he said, he did not want to put the Maltese government at a disadvantaged position in its future dealings with oil exploration companies. He said that the contention was whether the joint exploration should be in areas contested only by Tunisia and Malta or whether it should be in other zones where third countries could have an interest.

No agreement had been reached between Malta and Tunisia on an area where joint exploration could be carried out.

There were other difficulties insofar as Malta had given a concession for oil exploration in contested zones. But, he said, these should not be an obstruction to a joint exploration agreement.