Wikileaks: Malta had considered EU-Libya agreement veto

Malta had in 2008 considered a veto of a proposed European Union-Libya Framework Agreement over dissatisfaction with Libya's maritime patrols in its designated Search and Rescue (SAR) area and continuing concerns over the lack of cooperation by Libya in efforts to stem the flow of irregular migrants from Libya to Europe, a US diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks shows.

US diplomat John Godfrey wrote that European diplomats believed that apart from help in combating illegal migration from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia through Libya to Europe, Europe had little to gain from a closer partnership with Tripoli. In absence of a more formal agreement, some European countries had pursued bilateral cooperation that they privately assessed as being more nimble and effective than broader cooperation under an EU framework agreement might be.

The US diplomat noted that Italy had donated six vessels to Libya's coast guard and offered to train Libyan border security officials as Italy's bilateral response to what it viewed as a lack of meaningful EU engagement on illegal migrant flows through Libya. A Greek embassy official, Ioannis Stamatekos lauded Italy's move and said Greece may follow suit.

Maltese official Daniel Malina (Mallia) said that Malta, lacking resources to make a large equipment donation, hoped to keep the critical migration issue on the EU's radar during Council deliberations over the Commission's mandate to pursue the framework agreement .

(Italy reached a bilateral agreement with Libya, while a memorandum of understanding between the EU and Libya was signed late last year).