Malta-Libya: Opening of a new chapter

The way the Maltese government tackled the Libyan crisis in the last six months has been received by general acclaim from different quarters. As far back as early March, when the revolt was still under way and limited to the eastern parts of Libya, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi declared that the end of the Gaddafi regime was inevitable. Some criticised him for speaking too early and perhaps imprudently. But he stuck to his guns and gradually established contacts with Benghazi and its leaders.

The Prime Minister was faced with the first major decision regarding the Libyan crisis when two Libyan Mirage fighters landed in Malta. At that time, there were no sanctions in place which prevented their return to Libya. In spite of persistent demands by Tripoli to send back the coveted and much-needed fighters, the Prime Minister stood his ground and calmly but surely rejected these requests. The visit in May by special Benghazi envoy Abdurrahman Shalgam led to a declaration by the Malta government that it recognised the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the sole interlocutor of the Libyan people.

At the same time, Malta steered away from military adventures. Even though the military oper-ations conducted by Nato were in execution of United Nations Security Council resolutions and, therefore, not in conflict with the neutrality clauses in our Constitution, Malta declared that it would not allow its territory to be used as a military base to bomb Libyan targets. Simultaneously, the government reiterated that it would assist in every way in humanitarian initiatives.

The first operation was the evacuation of Maltese citizens who desired to return to Malta. This was no easy task. Entrepreneurial Maltese had ventured in all parts of Libya; others were engaged in work in isolated oilfields in the Libyan desert. But thanks to an inter-ministerial coordination set-up, consisting exclusively of civil servants, who are so often unjustly maligned, we managed to extricate all Maltese wishing to come back home. Malta also coordinated the evacuation of about 15,000 foreign nationals who arrived here for the onward journey to their countries of origin. The Foreign Office received requests of assistance from more than 100 countries around the globe.

Once the evacuation process was over, Malta participated in the London Conference, which comprised over 40 countries that decided to take the lead on the Libya issue. We made clear our stand that we would not be involved in military operations except to further our declared aim of humanitarian assistance. During one such military operation, British forces evacuated Maltese nationals from desert oilfields in Libya. Our nationals had been cut off from the rest of the country owing to the evolving conflict.

In late May, Malta decided to send a special envoy to Benghazi and open a liaison office there. I paid a visit to Benghazi on July 17, one of a handful of European ministers who visited the rebels` stronghold pledging support for humanitarian assistance in the form of a credit line to be eventually guaranteed by Libyan frozen assets.

But perhaps the best example of Malta`s concrete action in the humanitarian sphere was Dr Gonzi’s decision to give the green light to a Malta-based operation to transport 620 Libyan refugees from Tunisia to Misurata and Benghazi. Some of them had been severely injured in the fighting at the war front. It was an operation fraught with dangers and uncertainties.

But Malta’s civil service, diplomatic corps and law enforcement and humanitarian agencies again rose to the occasion. Under the watchful eye of the Defence Department at the Office of the Prime Minister, a medical team, supported by a civil protection unit, ensured the transfer of Libyan refugees, women and children back to their homes. Libyan Prime Minister-in-waiting Mahmud Jibril promised that Libya would never forget Malta`s kind and benevolent gesture in time of need.

A few days later, opposition forces entered Tripoli. In declaring the TNC as Libya` s new government, Cabinet just gave legal form to a de facto situation.

We have acted justly, respons-ibly, prudently and effectively, taking decisive action where necessary but always bearing in mind the national interest that required caution and prudence in certain moments of this saga.

Malta now looks forward to the opening of a new and exciting chapter in its relationship with neighbouring Libya. Engaging with a democratic regime should guarantee a more fruitful dialogue based on mutual respect. Gone are the days of unilateral actions that emerged from the hidden abyss of a rigid totalitarian regime. Our relationship with Libya should now move beyond that of a mere good-neighbourly relationship to one of true and genuine friendship based on mutually-accepted principles of freedom and democracy.

Malta will be active in its support of the development of a much-needed democracy in a neighbouring friendly country.

Dr Borg is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.