Updated 11.15 a.m., 11.55 a.m., 12.21
The Foreign Ministry has insisted that it does not interfere into matters such as what flag the Libyan embassy should fly.
In a statement reacting to a note fixed to the embassy gates by the Libyan ambassador this morning, the ministry said that in a meeting yesterday between Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and the Libyan ambassador, the minister he did not give any instructions of which flag is to be used by the Libyan embassy.
"That is a decision that has to be taken exclusively by the Libyan authorities and the embassy," the ministry said.
"The government of Malta will not interfere in this matter."
During yesterday's meeting, as stipulated by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunity, the government of Malta guaranteed the security of the embassy building and all property covered by diplomatic immunity, the ministry said.
It added that the government was informed that the entry of various people into the embassy building yesterday was authorised by the embassy.
Earlier today, anti-Gaddafi protesters reacted with anger after the all-green Libyan official flag was quietly hauled up again at the Libyan embassy.
A crowd of some 12 protesters gathered outside the building on the Rabat road, quietly discussing the development, in contrast to yesterday's jubilation.
In an explanatory note, in Arabic, stuck to the embassy gates, the Libyan ambassador wrote that during a meeting with Malta’s Foreign Minister Tonio Borg yesterday, he was told that, according to law, the Maltese government recognised Libya’s flag as the all-green one.
The green flag was also what was accepted by the United Nations and that was why the embassy removed the pre-Gaddafi flag and reinstated the green one, the ambassador said.
He closed his note by saying that he remained of service to all Libyans in Malta.
One of the protesters outside the embassy, Gamal al Gajazali told timesofmalta.com : "I am angry of course, and disappointed for my country.
He said the group would continue to protest against the Libyan regime.
On the raising of the official flag, he said that it only showed that the Gaddafi regime was still there.
"Maybe they (the embassy staff) got their orders from abroad, or maybe it was after the ambassador met Tonio Borg yesterday afternoon," he said.
However, he added that there appeared to be only three persons in the building.
The old post-independence Libyan flag was raised on the embassy flagpole yesterday after protesters climbed the façade of the two-storey building, finding no opposition from the police or embassy staff.
They earlier took the flag into the building and held a meeting with the ambassador, then came out again, still carrying the flag.
The flag was raised while the ambassador met reporters and said he accepted any flag which represented the Libyan people.
The protesters had said after the meeting that while the ambassador wanted to strike the all-green official Libyan flag, the Consul wanted to stick to it.
The ambassador subsequently left the embassy building and had a meeting with Foreign Minister Tonio Borg. No details were given.