UK will not forget Malta - William Hague
Video: Paul Spiteri Lucas
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague this evening reiterated his government’s gratitude to Malta for its humanitarian role in the Libyan conflict, especially in the evacuation of British nationals from the country.
Speaking following a meeting with Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi Mr Hague said that the situation was now such that there was a major opportunity for democracy to take hold in Libya.
The UK, he said, would not forget Malta and there were many areas where the two countries could cooperate in the development which had to take place in the north African country, including in health care.
Mr Hague said that the future in North Africa looked exciting as the area was opening up providing opportunities for cooperation.
Asked if the UK’s gratitude to Malta would be translated into help with the migration problem, Mr Hague said it would be translated in many ways.
Although the UK could not take a large number of migrants from Malta it could work on a practical level to get to the root of the problem.
Asked about the situation in Syria, Mr Hague said that the regime over there was responsible for an appalling number of deaths and the way it handled protests was unacceptable.
Dr Borg said that with Mr Hague he also discussed cooperation in other areas, including EU issues.
Asked by a British journalist about Malta’s experience in the euro zone, Dr Borg said this was a positive one, for although Malta had had a small economy with strong currency, the crisis would have affected it much worse had it not been part of the zone.
The euro zone, he said, had offered Malta a measure of protection.
Mr Hague was in Malta on his way to Libya.
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D Galea
Oct 18th 2011, 00:14
Go tell it to the marines, Mr Haig.
Chris Harris
Oct 17th 2011, 16:20
From one Brit to another :- Yeah tell'em Billy Boy, and if they believe that the Maltese will believe everything you say sunshine, or as buzy used to say-------Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit..
Ivan Cocker
Oct 17th 2011, 11:28
Like most it gives a felling of something fishy all these visits, but then again NATo still needs us a sthe war in Libya is not over yet [and when it's gonna be over?]
Then again when it's all over, everyone needs to police the re-collection of all that arsenal, technicals and home made Grads in the hands of civilians which surely not an easy task to control, and hope the UN and NATO are realising this!
M. Bezzina
Oct 17th 2011, 11:17
UK will not forget Malta - William Hague
NOT IN THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BUT!!!
Anthony Mizzi
Oct 17th 2011, 09:43
UK will not forget Malta - William Hague
What a statement!
In what ways will U.K. be remembering Malta... in good times, not in bad , in sickness not in health..... or just in the HOUR OF NEED of the U.K.?
Harry Livesey
Oct 17th 2011, 15:52
by british tourists still coming to malta.{ instead of turkey better rate for money} welomed we hope ? coming shortly for 3 months
Ivan M. Dingli
Oct 17th 2011, 09:36
I guess what Mr. Hague meant is that the UK will be voting 12 points for Malta's next song in the Eurovision song contest!!
B. Pollacco
Oct 17th 2011, 19:25
if we qualify...
Joseph Ellul
Oct 17th 2011, 09:23
The British F. Sec.W Hague has a good head on his shoulders, but in times like these he will be pulling his own rope , as they say. So, stock up and prepare for the storm. Mr Gonzi and Mr Muscat better put on some flak jackets and start travelling to Libya to get some real business. If they stays in Malta all they get is Habbaghaziz.
Beppe Pisani
Oct 17th 2011, 08:29
just a thank you is not enough!.........indeed the brits did forget us when distributing the marshall aid. maybe the time is ripe for the uk to take some immigrants...........nothing new for them!
Joseph Ellul
Oct 17th 2011, 09:17
Malta recieved some Marshal aid, but most of it went into private hands (contractors). As usual, it was divided between the politicians and their friends. So what is new!
Joseph Aquilina
Oct 17th 2011, 11:01
We did get some marshal aid ... mintoff (a good thing) wanted more ... in the end however who profited where corrupt politicians and their friends!!
Nigel Turner
Oct 17th 2011, 08:21
I'm an Englishman who has visited Malta several times. I understand your cynicism about Hague and politicians in general. But let me tell you that there are a good number of English people who have nothing but affection and admiration for Malta for its contribution to WW2 and other achievements. So, I for one, wish Malta well.
Mrs Ann Welch
Oct 17th 2011, 10:27
I second that !
David Caruana
Oct 17th 2011, 08:17
All these visits from Foreign Secretaries and Secrataries of State in such a short time smell fishy to me.
Is the race for 'Maltese oil' on by any chance?
pat muscat
Oct 17th 2011, 07:34
I beg to differ with Mr Hague; we were quickly forgotten by Britain after the deluge of bombs during the Second World War. We were denied Marshall Aid and we were left to our own devises with thousands of people having to emigrate because of the Services rundown.
Charles Micallef
Oct 17th 2011, 08:20
I made a similar comment, but the Times failed to publish it, and yes lest we forget. Those of us who remember the MASSIVE let down after our forefathers give their lives to help the allies in no small way to win the second world war!, so please Mr Hague, we know that were not born when this happened, but we were, and some of us have long memories!
john vella
Oct 17th 2011, 08:26
@pat
I could not have said it better myself.
M Cachia
Oct 17th 2011, 10:55
Marshall Aid - do you mean that funding provided by the US, administered by the US and distributed by the US?
KM Fiorentino
Oct 17th 2011, 07:17
Here we go again.... "thanking" us for our contribution and humanitarian role in the Libyan conflict.
Sorry but were we helping the UK? Does Libya belong to the UK? Should we get so excited because
the UK is thanking us on behalf of the Libyan people? When are we going to learn? Let's be proud
of ourselves and our Nation and in what we do.
Carmel Cilia
Oct 17th 2011, 06:22
It is just words and words only. Today England is in such a mess that there is practically nothing it can do to improve our situation that is were immigrants are concerned. Mr. Hague did not hide behind his finger and told us straight away that England cannot help us in this matter. As to the Euro I heard a very different story from what was narrated here. When asked about the Euro I was told that he said the the Eurozone is like a large block of apartment which is burning. How different from what was reported here. I don,t know which version is the right one because I was not there but it seems that we are living in different worlds on this island. Well the media has a lot of reckoning to do.
Charles Micallef
Oct 17th 2011, 01:21
UK will not forget Malta - William Hague
Just like UK did not forget Malta after world war two and the promised monies that never materialsed to rebuild Malta after acting as the unsinkable aircraft carrier for so many years!, some of us have long memories!
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Oct 16th 2011, 23:45
Ma xbajtx taqa ghaz zufjet sur prim ministru. Aqta qalbek hadd ma jrid immigranti. Il problema int trid issolvija.
Peter Gatt
Oct 16th 2011, 23:25
Hearing the comment that "the UK..will not forget Malta" from Mr Hague makes one wonder whether he thinks that the Maltese are some forgotten little tribe of the forlorn jungle that makes contact with civilisation every half a century but is then forgotten by all.
Should we feel elated that the foreign minister of the UK 'will not forget us'? Rather then being consoled by the news that the British government has not 'forgotten' us, we will be even happier if we forgot the 200 years of servitude to British colonial rule.
As previous commentators have said, we have heard such condescending speeches from the British many times in the past and they have little value to us.
If the British government is to be taken seriously it should tell us if they are on our side or on Libya's side when it comes to solving Malta's maritime dispute over potentially oil-rich offshore areas. Then we will see if the British have not 'forgotten' us.
I fear they have already taken their side. No wonder that Mr Hague is already on his way to Libya and probably has already forgotten all about Malta and its interests.
Charles Vella
Oct 16th 2011, 23:09
...and during the 70's and 80's Malta was listed as a terrorist country... Thank you dear Prime Minister for making ME AS A MALTESE CITIZEN PROUD of my Nationality!
A Cardona
Oct 16th 2011, 22:01
UK will not forget Malta.... as it did when it needed help when illegal immigration was rampant and loads of lifes were lost.
MONEY, OIL MONEY,,,,,, WAR and more MONEY..... make a politicians world!
Julian Borg
Oct 16th 2011, 20:55
How different our world would be if we had taken Joseph Muscat's advice for 'marketing campaign masicc' to take advantage of the upheaval in North Africa. Thanks you Dr Gonzi for acting in the best long term interests of the people ....... as always.
Vote for Joseph Muscat for short term gain at the expense of long term pain!
Mr Chris Spiteri
Oct 17th 2011, 08:08
Mr. Borg
1: Muscat never said never criticised the humanitarian role that Malta had in these few months.
2: I still believe it was a good idea to make an effort and get the people who were going to visit Egypt Libya and Tunisia. If that was done Mr. Hague still would come if he came to thank us for humanitarian effort.
Joseph E Briffa
Oct 16th 2011, 20:55
How comforting to see decent politicians visiting Malta and so many of them in short succession. What a contrast with the time when only the scum of the earth used to be welcomed to Malta.
Wenzu Vella
Oct 17th 2011, 08:43
You must feel very happy and pumping up you chest with excitement Mr Briffa you most likely think that you could jump from a plane from 30,000 feet without a parachute.
effie stafrace
Oct 16th 2011, 20:37
we have read alexnander ball and winston churchill say the same words.now we have heard mr William Hague utter the same words.but what did we get in return?better still what we will be getting in return?lets hope not peanuts?
Mr Lawrence Calleja
Oct 16th 2011, 19:27
No it's not about oil. It is about the way larger countries see Malta as a safe country with a stable government who knows how politics work. Yes, it is not just the UK, France, Libya and other big countries that visit Malta, but other bigger countries will also surely be visiting Malta to meet top government officials for the good of both countries.
Michael Grech
Oct 17th 2011, 16:58
thanks for the good laugh!
Dominic Fenech
Oct 16th 2011, 19:25
Patronizing. Whatever it is that we did in connection with the Libyan crisis, we didn't do it for Britain.
Mark Cassar
Oct 17th 2011, 04:03
Obviously. Future business is important to all; and they want something from us for sure. They know that Malta has good contacts with Libyan business, and the NTC. Let them come. It shows they recognise our competencies and our government.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Oct 16th 2011, 19:23
We never had this number of foreign top politicians coming over to see us. What is really going on?
Mr Raymond Milford
Oct 16th 2011, 20:13
Clearly there is something afoot whether it be to use Malta Airport or The Grand Harbour for some
military purpose.
Joe Vella
Oct 16th 2011, 22:18
Charles, perhaps you would be more comfortable to see the old dictatorship of the former leaders of Romanian, East Germany, North Korea or even Gaddafi himself. After All. your friend, the present National secretary of the PL,had signed a secret agreement with the North Koreans on how to beat your fellow Maltese.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Oct 17th 2011, 10:23
Joe Vella if you are so much knowledgeable about a secret arrangement why do you not reveal its contents?
John Clease
Oct 16th 2011, 19:05
"Asked if the UK’s gratitude to Malta would be translated into help with the migration problem, Mr Hague said it would be translated in many ways". Great diplomat this guy.
Emmanuel Ebejer
Oct 16th 2011, 19:58
"Asked if the UK’s gratitude to Malta would be translated into help with the migration problem, Mr Hague said it would be translated in many ways". As Austin Powers always says...' Oh behave!!!"
V. Cauchi
Oct 16th 2011, 17:30
When top heads visit Malta, I always think of distant war drums. Syria? Iran?
julian caruana
Oct 16th 2011, 16:51
i wonder all this interest in tiny Malta from the UK??? maybe they are smelling oil like gonzi?????
mmmhhhmm i wonder but something big is in the pipeline.....
Noel Zahra Diacono
Oct 16th 2011, 19:27
General Elextion in tne pipe line???????
Paul Giordimaina
Oct 16th 2011, 20:48
You are right Mr Zahra in another 2 years
James Dewar
Oct 17th 2011, 00:17
Julian, A tad cynical perhaps but i share your intrigue!! Let us wait and see!