Malta protests to Italy over oil exploration
Malta has formally protested to Italy after the Italian government offered oil exploration licences around the islands of Pentelleria, Linosa and Lempedusa.
Malta considers part of the continental shelf to be its own, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg told Joe Mizzi (PL) in reply to a parliamentary question.
Oil exploration rights in the centre of the Mediterranean are beign hotly contested by Malta, Italy, Libya and Tunisia.
Last week, talks between Malta with Libya on contested offshore territorial claims werre likened to “a waltz, moving two steps forward and one step back” by the representative of a Canadian oil company.
In March 2008, Libya had written to Heritage Oil warning the company not to do any drilling in Area 7 (on the Medina Bank), which the North African state claimed as its own. Heritage Oil had not yet started operations in Area 7 and Area 2 (which lies to the north of the disputed zone) where it was given a licence by the Maltese government to explore.
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francis farrugia
Jan 10th 2011, 20:18
L-ahjar li nibdew nippreparaw xi erba` patrol boats biex jekk jibdew ihaffru nibghatuhom biex iwaqqfuhom kif ghamel Gaddafi lilna.??????? ha ha haj.
Marco Camilleri
Jan 10th 2011, 19:34
President Abela ought to be able to tell us more about the Italian connection in this regard. President Napolitano had a lot to recount on Italy's viewpoint.
C. Borg
Jan 10th 2011, 18:33
every few years, the government of the day hangs the ''oil drilling'' carrot in front of the people and discussions are renewed, paper right ups galore, ministerial explanations etc., etc...... than it all goes dead......until the next time. Kemm ahna boloh. Somebody knows the truth about the results ........and he's not talking.
Franco J Scicluna
Jan 10th 2011, 18:09
Malta will never get any where as regards to its own oil being brought to the surface. For many years I had insisted that our so called neutrality is nothing but a big knot tied around our necks.We are too small to argue with bigger countries about such big issues.Malta's position should have been always linked to NATO
wally vella-zarb
Jan 10th 2011, 19:09
Back in the sixties NATO did not even want us as observers, even though they had a base here! This was after 'Independence'.
John Frendo
Jan 10th 2011, 21:01
Franco J Scicluna No way mister. We do not want to become a military base. NATO arrogance has to be seen to be believed. Remember when Dr Borg Olivier wanted Malta to become a NATO member and when they did not accept he asked for observer status which they did not also accept? Why should we be involved in NATO's illegal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other places to be seen as enemies of the invaded countries? No Scicluna. If you want you can go to a NATO member country and go fight fr them but no way shall we allow Malta to become a NATO base.
j mifsud
Jan 10th 2011, 16:31
Any responsible government will drill for oil even in a village square as long as it will solve its economic problems and people will not suffer as is happening right now.
Philip Hili
Jan 10th 2011, 16:06
Tiftakru l-"protocals" li l-Italjan kienet tifferm ma' malta? Forsi ghalhekk kienet tifferma l-"protocol" ma Malta u tatina ftit loqom, biex il-gvern Malta jaghlaq halqu u ma jesplorax ghaz-zejt?
R Borg
Jan 10th 2011, 15:43
We need a big brother and to hell with our neutrality,oil is the only solution for this rock
Paul Sammut
Jan 10th 2011, 21:03
R Bor, your big brother will start doing what he wants once you are in his clutches.
George Micallef
Jan 10th 2011, 21:17
Paul Borg, R Borg, ma rridux kif jghid il-qawl Malti, indahhlu l-lifgha f'kommtna.
Paul Borg
Jan 10th 2011, 15:37
Here's a thought.........Give the oil exploration contracts to American companies and you will see how everyone will think twice before talking. The U.S. always has protection in the Med. It is our best bet.
MARK
Jan 10th 2011, 15:01
Stand up for yourself Malta.
Oil funds will completly change your Country & lives..
Dont let other countries bully you.
C. Xuereb
Jan 10th 2011, 14:30
Issa rridu naraw il-par idejn sodi Sur Prim Ministru, issa hemm bzonn ixxammar il-kmiem u tiggieled ghal gidna l-Maltin u mhux tmur iccicci ma xi mejda u tiddjaloga ghamel bhal ma kien jaghmel Mintoff dak dejjem iggieled ghal gid ta' pajjizna. Issa naraw x'se jigri.
A. Zahra
Jan 10th 2011, 15:46
Tiftakra il glieda ta' Mintoff mal gappun? Taf kemm gabitlna investiment, holqien ta' xoghol esportazjoni ecc. Xejn li xejn. L'unika haga li gabitilna kein isem hazin mal investituri. U mintoff waqa ghac cajt man negozjanti maltin, mal gverniet ecc. Alla ihares Gonzi jghamel bhalu.
wally vella-zarb
Jan 10th 2011, 19:05
Sur Zahra! Meta Mintoff waqaf lill-Gappun minhabba zbilanc fil-kummerc u zamm l-importazzjoni kien il-Gappun li gie biex jerga jirranga l-affarijiet. Baghat delegazzjoni ta' sbatax ir-ruh. Naf ghax kont wiehed minn dawk li ltaqghu maghhom.
Peter Spiteri
Jan 10th 2011, 21:10
Zahra, jidher li ma tafhiex l-istorja hjew trid iddaw is-sewwa maghruf biex taghti palata lil-Gvern tieghek.
Christian Sciberras
Jan 10th 2011, 14:29
Hope they keep this up.
Malta might be tiny in size, but it does have a spine (or at least, hope so)!
Victoria
Jan 10th 2011, 14:26
Without a doubt Italy has an absolute right here to explore for oil within its own territorial waters...the International Laws of the Sea set this out fairly and squarely.
Whether there is any oil there is an issue for another day.
What happened with the exploration of Gozo a few years ago is an equal mystery. I saw this being drilled and yet after 5000 metres what?
The Government needs to explain that one.
Alexia Vella
Jan 10th 2011, 21:15
Victoria do you know how far away they want to drill? So how did you come to the conclusion that they are in their territorial waters? Do you know that the territorial waters are only 12 miles Victoria? I hope you do since you referred to the Law of the Sea. Article 3 "Every State has a right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention". Get it Victoria?
Pete Dalli
Jan 10th 2011, 21:19
Victoria how patriotic of you Victoria. Instead of defending your country and try to find any means to protect our interests you try to protect Italian interests without even knowing the facts.
C Taliana
Jan 10th 2011, 14:02
I believe that everyone is taking us for a long long ride in this oil exploration business.
T Camilleri
Jan 10th 2011, 14:01
Why did the Government not also protest with Libya?
ASpiteri
Jan 10th 2011, 18:11
because libyans are our cultural cousins!
they love us!
Anthony Zerafa
Jan 10th 2011, 21:20
ASpiteri how funny Spiteri. EFA used to call them tal-habbaziz and Borg Olivier de Puget once wanted to send Mintoff to them in a sack, remember?
Albert Farrugia
Jan 10th 2011, 13:51
What's up now? Picking up again a fight with Italy? Does my government actually want to put forward the argument that the Italian islands of Pantelleria (and not Pentelleria), Lampedusa (and not Lempedusa) rise up from the sea from Maltese territory?? Can this government please, please, get real.
K.Anastasi
Jan 10th 2011, 13:40
EU or no EU...at the end of the day, we are a small island with no strength and no say. That is the reality.
Charles Zammit
Jan 10th 2011, 21:27
K.Anastasi so why are we in the EU? To suffer all the destruction that it has brought us? This is what our EU brotherly Italians want to do.
Andrew Battenti
Jan 10th 2011, 13:15
I am sure Italy and Libya have their own views as to what constitutes ownership of drilling rights. Wouldn't that be the most sensible thing to report on?
c spiteri
Jan 10th 2011, 13:14
titkellem mal libya hela ta zmien kemm ilna nitkellmu xi 35 sena?