Update 3: Gonzi tours war-ravaged Misurata after meeting Libyan PM
The Maltese and Libyan prime ministers greet the Libyan pilots who had defected to Malta. Picture: Omar Camilleri DOI.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was taken on a tour of the war-ravaged streets of Misurata this afternoon after meeting Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib in Tripoli.
The port city of Misurata was besieged by Libyan forces for several weeks during the uprising against Col Gaddafi and saw some of the fiercest fighting in the six-month Libyan uprising.
The damage was plain to see as Dr Gonzi and his delegation were driven through the main streets, lined with bombed buildings and burnt-out cars.
Malta had provided a lifeline to Misurata during the siege, with several ships carrying humanitarian aid having left from Malta and slipped into Misurata harbour, from where they then ferried injuried Libyans and journalists.
The Maltese delegation was given a warm welcome by the city council when it arrived in the city this afternoon. Dr Gonzi's first stop was to a makeshift museum where pictures of all those who were killed in the conflict are on display.
Earlier, Prime Minister El-Keib and Dr Gonzi addressed a joint press conference during which the Libyan PM called on Malta to help Libya recover funds which were frozen when the United Nations imposed sanctions at the height of the uprising.
Speaking following a meeting of more than an hour with Prime Minister Gonzi, the new Libyan premier said his country would not allow illegal immigration to be used as political pressure, as was done in the past, but, he stressed, the Libyan government needed its funds to be unfrozen as quickly as possible.
The issue about the frozen assets was mentioned repeatedly by Mr El-Keip in a press conference after the meeting, although he acknowledged that Malta is working towards this end.
Dr Gonzi said that during their meeting, the two prime ministers had agreed to draw up a roadmap of common interest issues which they will discuss. These will include immigration, regional stability, fishing rights, pollution and the delineation of the continental shelf (for oil exploration purposes).
Dr Gonzi reiterated Malta's commitment to help Libya on the road to democracy, including its efforts to get its own money back.
The Libyan prime minister said he was looking forward to a new relationship with Malta.
Following their meeting, the two leaders had a working lunch.
Earlier, Dr Gonzi was warmly welcomed in the Libyan prime minister's office by the two Libyan pilots who were sheltered in Malta after defecting with their Mirage fighters instead of bombing their countrymen.
They also attended the meeting and were present for the lunch.
In the morning, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech had separate meetings with the Libyan ministers for industry and trade during which they discussed trade and investment relations, pending payments to Maltese businesses and Maltese involvement in the rebuilding of Libya.
Dr Gonzi is also accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who, at the height of the uprising, had visited Benghazi for talks with the Nation Transitional Council.
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Alfred Falzon
Nov 30th 2011, 21:21
@ Alex Ellul
Well said!
Some are born with a silver spoon in their mouth and ignore what it means to live in hardship and bondage under a vicious dictatorship!
Misurata will remain a symbol of heroism and supreme sacrifice for the free Libyans for having borne the brunt of the regime's bloody onslaught on his own people!
It reminds us of Guernica, the Spanish town completely wiped out by Fascist Franco's ally Hitler on 20 April, 1937, causing widespread destruction and countless civilian casualties after being caught unawares by Nazi bombers!
Misurata is akin to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Hersegovina. where Serb forces murdered 10,000 civilians including 1,500 innocent children!
Misurata may have even endured much worse and could easily be compared to Srebrenica indeed on a much larger scale!
Sebrenica, a small town in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was in 1995 the site of the worst case of genocide in Europe since WW2, after the Bosnian Serb army staged a brutal take-over of the town and systematically massacred over 7000 men and young boys in fields, schools and warehouses thinking that they could hide their heinous crimes by burying the bodies in mass graves in remote wooded areas!
Misurata is another martyred Grozny, capital of Chechnya, where Russian troops under Putin slaughtered thousands of civilians using weapons of mass destruction, with impunity so far!
Kadhafi's cruel regime's days are now over but the cry from the graves of thousands of Misurata's martyrs still resounds across the whole Libyan territory, appealing for a lasting national reconciliation which only the NTC can bring to fruition through wisdom, compassion, tolerance and social justice for all.
In dire contrast with a former power wielding merciless regime that turned corrupt and hard-hearted face to face with its people which it wanted crushed and reduced to a state of medieval deprivation in constant fear of death!
Alex Ellul
Nov 30th 2011, 11:32
Anyone who followed the Libyan people’s great struggle and sacrifices made to achieve freedom from one of the world’s most despicable dictators would know that the Libyan war was won in Misurata. It was Misurata that turned the tide of gaddafi’s military advances against the people’s armies and military defectors. Gaddafi new that if he had to lose Misurata he would lose the whole of Libya. So, he sent his best army there, led by one of his sons, Mutassim. But the Misuratans new the same thing, that if they held on, they would win the war and remove the Gaddafi clan from power. The Misuratan fighters, mostly made up of academics, lawyers, students, architects, engineers; men who in the beginning did not know from which side of the rifle the bullet exits, took up the fight, assisted by their women and the doctors and nurses, who fed them and treated the wounded. Misurata became a bombed out city, but the freedom fighters had an edge over the gaddafi army. They knew their city, they knew where the resources where, and they fought like lions. In fact this army of hotch-potch fighters became the most experienced rebel army and became known as the Lions of Misurata. They even managed to keep a radio station open, with the help of spare parts brought from Malta, giving hope, instructions and coded messages to the people and fighters.
During the course of the battle, the Misuratans became short of supplies. They were landlocked by gaddafi’s army and their only route left open was the open sea, with the nearest country being Malta. Malta supplied the Misuratans with whatever could be delivered. THIS SAVED MISURATA, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FALL OF GADDAFI. If Misurata had fallen to Gaddafi, he would still be in power today.
This is not an exaggerated claim. It is a logical claim. Misurata was freed because of the Misuratans’ great courage and sacrifices AND the help they received for Malta. The expulsion of Gaddafi’s forces from that city gave the coup de grace to Gaddafi and resulted in the liberation of Libya.
Malta saved Libya. QED.
Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Nov 30th 2011, 00:50
He should also tour the faction-ravaged remains of the PN headquarters.
mark borg
Nov 29th 2011, 20:22
I hope Dr Gonzi that after all the smooching you are doing over there ,would bring at least one percent of what Minttoff had negotiated in the 70's and 80's with the Libyans, including the hedging agreement your predecessor cancelled to the determent of all our Nation.
Alfred Falzon
Nov 29th 2011, 16:22
For some biased party hardliners, if it does not suit their whims and fancies, right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right!
Otherwise their party would be shown in bad light and power-thirst will be quenched in frustration and sour grapes!
Jonathan Caruana
Nov 28th 2011, 22:52
Il-Libja kienu jtuna l-flus fi zmien Mintoff, ghamluna nies u kienu jghajruna u ghadhom. Illum nilaghquhom u minflok ituna, intuhom ahna minkejja l-qaghda mweghra li jinsab pajjizna fih. Ahna rridu min jaghti lilna u mhux naghtu ahna. Ma nafx kif hawn nies li ma jisthux jikkummentaw.
Mario Grima
Nov 28th 2011, 22:37
I'll bet the PN media will tell us how Gonzi has singlehandedly saved Libya from the guy who he embraced just a few months ago!!!!!!
John Scerri
Nov 29th 2011, 10:51
Mintoff kien jahseb li id - dinja ddur madwar Malta ...qed taghmel ghageb fuq din??
P. Ciantar
Nov 29th 2011, 13:24
well said john. ta lanqas Malta konna fuq in naha tas sewwa biex ma nghidx il PN.....
Victor Vella
Nov 28th 2011, 21:45
I don't know if I should laugh or cry, hide myself or my Maltese identity.Some of the comments here are truly amazing.
@ Mr A Xuereb, scouting is not commitment, the Maltese delegation is scouting and takeing the opportunity that arose with this invitation.
@Rodnick Abela.Mela ma ghadkhomx tajru lill Gonzi li mar jinhabb issa?
@ Joe Vella Tahliex hin ma minn ma jridx jara l abjad bhal abjad u l swed bhala iswed habib.Taf x qal Napuljun hux.L-akbar battalja li qatt kellu kien kontra l injoranza, f dan il kaz ma nahsibx li hija injoranza imma, aktar irjus shan u ibsa.
@ Leo Attard. Primarily you comment on the text in the article not the photo.
@Peppi Borg, To achiev anything one must start, and any start is good enough.The fact that Dr Gonzi was invited to Libja is a start.
@ Raymond Sammut well said mate.
@Joe Galea, Inti qrajt sewwa dak li hemm miktub? jew forsi il musmar li ghandek fil warrani qieghed itelfek ir raguni.Tista tghidilna x ser intuhom lill Libjani?
@Victor Caruana. Are you as a PL supporter trying to teach us about democracy?Lol LMFAO Of all the people a PL supporter who gets an orgasm whenever he hears JM speak .Let me tell you about democracy, Democracy according to PL is the Party secretary coming our in public and states that a contender for the leadership would only win OVER MY DEAD BODY. for more details Google Jason Micallef in the run up to the leadership elections.
@ Victor Bonello, Had it been Mintof we would by now have the UN impose sanctions against us cause Gaddafi would have run to Malta, Mintof would have welcomed him with open arms and kept him here against the UN orders for him to be sent to The Hauge.Had it been Mintoff we would have had the pilots returned to Libja and had them executed, and the fighter planes returned to kill the rebels.The food and humanitarian aid convoys would have been sent to Gaddafi troops not the people in need .And after the downfall of the Regime Libja would have sought the pound of flesh from us.
M. Mallia
Nov 29th 2011, 14:40
Its true that there are many that do not know what they are writing about...But you hit top of the list...Its as if you know everything about the PN and about what Mintoff would have done...Ma taqrax ix-xorti ukoll hux ???
Wenzu Vella
Nov 28th 2011, 21:36
Hugs and kisses all round like it was with Gaddafi. Waite till the real business start then bye bye Malta you are too small with next to nothing to offer.
Gonzi is being used as a mouth piece with those countries that are holding big sums of Libyan money. These are the very countries that bombed Gaddafi to free the Libyans but are very reluctant to free the Libyan money.
This freeing of the money will be used as leverage to get contracts in Libyan oil. Libya has nothing else more important than plenty of black gold “OIL”. Their main interest is to recuperate what it cost them to bomb Gaddafi plus interest. Never forget that there is no such thing as a FREE LUNCH
mark borg
Nov 28th 2011, 21:10
@J.C Borg
Mr Borg you know where the sour GRAPES are???...when we really brought Millions from the Libyan people to Malta and worked together and the PN administration used to abuse racially all Libyans and give them names such as TAL -HABBAZIEZ..... There are your sour GRAPES...So now you should tell us why we should have sour grapes....for a couple of kisses to these men in green or bearded men????? Let us hope Libyans would appreciate how much we helped them and put our own people at risk when our AirMalta Airplane with all its Maltese crew was on Libyan Tarmac and we did not give Ghaddafi back his planes!!! Grow up and do not comment if you have nothing but venom in your tongue, because you are not impressing no one !!!!!
lilly vella
Nov 28th 2011, 21:09
fi frar li ghadda ghannaq lil gaddafi u issa hawn jerga jitghannaq . x hinuma patetici, ritratti kemm trid , imma taghasar taghasar, m ghadhux SMART
A. Xuereb
Nov 28th 2011, 20:49
The issue about the frozen assets was mentioned repeatedly by Mr El-Keip .....looks like that is the only thing Mr El Keip is after! Since elections are still to be held, one doubts whether the libyan premier (or anyone from the interim government for that matter) can enter into talks about possible foreign investment in Libya, as afterwards, any deals entered into, might not be honoured by thosed who will be democratically elected by the Libyan people.
Rodnick Abdilla
Nov 28th 2011, 20:48
Mela ma ghadomx tal habba ziz ? x ser niehdu min din iz zjara Gonz ? jew din just mawra ohra bhall lohrajn just biex nghidu morna pajjiz iehor ?
M. Bezzina
Nov 28th 2011, 21:48
PROBABLY YES...ALWAYS WITH EMPTY HANDS!!!
Joe Vella
Nov 28th 2011, 19:56
@ Joe Galea
X'ASSi huma li qieghed tirreferi ghalijhom? Sa fejn naf jien, hu hafna ohra bhali, kull ma il Gvern Libjan qieghedd jitlob hija l'ghajnuna ta Mlata biex l'Assi libjani li gew frizati f'bosta pajjiziji jigu mholija u jinghtbatu lil LIbya.
Joe Galea
Nov 28th 2011, 20:38
Ma tahsibx li kien ahjar li l-Libja talbet l-ghajnuna lil Franza biex tigbor l-assi li ghanda tiehu minn pajjizi ohra u lilna thallina biex tinnegozja maghna forsi naslu x'imkien.Sa issa li naf zgur hu li hlief cerimonji li jikkonsistu fil-prim ministru taghna jitla l-Libya u d-delegati Lybjani jinzlu Malta ma rajniex ,u gejna 'back to square one', u nassigurak li hekk ser nibqghu sejrin ,gejjin u sejrin sakemm il-prim ministru taghna jiddikjara li ma wasalna mkien.
Mela ejja inkunu aktar rejali u nifthu ghajnejna ,ghax il-Libya kull ma qieghda taghmel hu li qed tipprova taljenana biex fl-istess hin taghmel trattamenti ta negozji ma pajjizi ohra li jidrilha hi.
Ahna m'ahniex ikkalkulati.
Joe Vella
Nov 28th 2011, 21:39
@ Joe Galea
Oh, mela mhux l'assi taghna trid? Donhokk qomt issa. Il Prim Ministru Saqsa lil lil Gonzi ghaz Malta ukioll iffirzzat xi assi. Semplici.
Mr leo attard
Nov 28th 2011, 19:54
ain't politics a funny thing ---- less than ayear ago he hugged gaddafi and watched football with him, now he is hugging those who killed him , and in another year? who knows?
B. Pollacco
Nov 28th 2011, 20:30
those people that he is hugging are the pilots who came to malta...read b4 comment !!
mark borg
Nov 28th 2011, 21:33
This must be a record, for sure..actually he was the last Prime Minister to lick Ghaddafi in public and also the first to lick the interim one in public ..
Mr leo attard
Nov 29th 2011, 20:03
@B Pollacco--- fllow your own advice! If you know how to read between the lines, an idiot would know that I am referring to all those who opposed hiom and not to the one who actually pulled the trigger. In other words the PM was chummy with Gaddafi and then a few months later he was being chummy with those who opposed him, who celebrated his death... My, my Mr Pollacco, you have sensitive political cords and I must have pricked one or two.
Henry S. Pace
Nov 28th 2011, 18:22
What a miserable National Maltese Flag appeared as a back-drop when the meeting was held in Libya.
Where is the Maltese Embassy Staff to look after the logistics of protocol?
graham cassar
Nov 29th 2011, 05:43
You just hit the nail on its head...............".Where is the Maltese Embassy Staff to look after the logistics of protocol?" .................................there are no 'Maltese' staff!!!!!!
What do you expact from an Embassy filled with forigners except for the Ambassador. Our embassies are filled with Indians and locals who do not give 2 hoots about Malta and it's protocol.
Peppi Borg
Nov 28th 2011, 18:13
What did Malta gain Dr. Gonzi? What is the point? Posing for photographs to use them in the on the doorstep campaign? The libyan pm tied illegal immigration with frozen funds and the roadmap is still to be decided ......God knows when actions and results become a reality!
J.C. Borg
Nov 28th 2011, 20:52
I smell sour grapes here Mr Borg.
Raymond Sammut
Nov 28th 2011, 17:56
There is an estimate of $160 billion worth of Libyan assets frozen in several countries. Every government of these countries has a moral obligation to speed up legal procedures and return these assets to their rightful Libyan owners. Ironically, many of these countries have shackled their own economies with spiraling debts, while at the same time they also have the cheek to retain another country's assets --which is truly shameful.
In the meantime, the OECD is warning these countries of pending recession unless they take appropriate action. Appropriate action is well and truly overdue. For example, the very reason why these countries are presently holding Libyan assets is because they spent decades trading with a criminal regime in Tripoli. If in all this time these countries thought that that was "appropriate", then it should be no wonder that they are in the awful situation that they are in.
As a first step, in getting themselves out of their own mess, they should start releasing Libyan assets without further delay. They have got to do it, because an immoral country only gets what it deserves.
Joe Galea
Nov 28th 2011, 16:11
Tajba Din!! Sejrin nispiccaw intuhom ahna minn flok niehdu.Sur Gonzi ma tahsibx li dawn qieghdin jaghddu z-zmien bina?Ahna tajbin biss ghal karita.Il-bqijja ,fejn jidhlu negozji li jinvolvu zjut u dhul ta flus,dak hu privilegg li joghdd ghal pajjizi l-ohra biss.
G Mangion
Nov 28th 2011, 18:20
Joe Galea:
Tista ticcara kif Ser - nispiccaw intuhom ahna minn flok niehdu ??
Hawn nies qed jaraw il - Kumemnti u muhx Bhahen ......
G. Mangion.
Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
Nov 28th 2011, 18:37
Sur Joe Galea.
Ma kienx jaf bik Gonzi PN, għax kieku kieb jibgħat lillek diddiskuti mall-Libjani!
U meta tiġi lura konna nagħmlulhek dimostrazzjoni kbira u ngħolluk fuq l-ispallejn, Sur Joe Galea!
Joe Galea
Nov 28th 2011, 18:41
Jigifieri sur Mangion, li l-importanti kif jiehdu l-assi li jridu jiehdu minn ghandna, jighdulna BYE BYE u jhallulna biss iz-zunnarija tperper f'idejna.
G Mangion
Nov 28th 2011, 19:36
Joe Galea
Il Hmir ihobbha hafna iz-zunnarija Pero il - Poplu ma hux Hmar ! il - comments li qed taghmel aktar hsara lil jm
Qed
taghmel Hallina Sinjur Joe Galea
G. Mangion.
Louise Vella
Nov 28th 2011, 15:38
The new Libyan authorities are confirming what Gaddafi had said (and what Maltese do-gooders have never acknowledged) that illegal immigrants were used by Gaddafi as political pressure on Malta and Italy, that is, as an instrument for getting what Gaddafi wanted from Europe. Therefore all the talk about refugees and humanitarian assistance etc was playing into Gaddafi's hands.
victor caruana
Nov 28th 2011, 15:27
Gonzi is talking to an interim prime minister who has not been democratically elected. He will be replaced following free elections if he does not do another gaddafi. So talking to part time representatives is not that fruitful....
John Said
Nov 28th 2011, 15:44
What did you expect DR. Gonzi to do, refuse the invitation? How do people manage to come up with such stupid comments! I wonder if Mr. Caruana studied politics/ basic manners at Harvard University
victor bonello
Nov 28th 2011, 13:59
What a joke we are!
Evry country has so far issued its bill for thier involvment in the aid given to Libya and its Arab spring!
Nato expecs 488 billion euros, UK 134 million, France 133 million, and Malta?..there we go..begging for the crumbs..
Had it been Mintoff, he would have settled this before breaking our Constitution and allowinf Malta to be used as a base..
Henry Jacobs
Nov 28th 2011, 15:24
Which planet are you living in? Are you related to AST by any chance?
John Said
Nov 28th 2011, 15:28
So if you see someone being robbed you gow help him fight the thief and then ask him to pay you for helping him! So you take the money instead of the thief! Malta helped the Libyan people out of its heart and we do not expect payment in return. That is the reason why Dr. Gonzi is respected world wide not like mintof.
Alex Ellul
Nov 28th 2011, 16:11
Proof enough of Mintoff's irresponsible mad-cap policies
Alfred Attard
Nov 28th 2011, 16:51
My friend you confirm that you and unfortunately a few more Maltese are still brainwashed by the Mintoffean/Socialists philosophy who used to try to make people think that they are good Samaritans and that there are 2 Europes, one of Kein and the other of Abel. You remind me of the biggest challenge Napolean faced and that he has never won!!!
H. Psaila
Nov 28th 2011, 18:11
@ Victor Bonello - What did Mintoff do when Ghadaffi threatened to blow up on a drilling rig in our territorial waters? Mintoff did just nothing, only to tell the rig to abandon the well and leave site. That is how friendly Ghadaffi was with Mintoff in those days.
Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
Nov 28th 2011, 18:42
Sur John Said,
Nifraħlek ta' l-erba kelmiet li ktiebt!
Naqbel miegħek mija fil-mija!
Prositt, u Nawguralek Sur John Said.
Michael Vella
Nov 28th 2011, 23:19
@ Victor Bonello
Are you serious? Where did you get those figures from? NATO in itself is an organisation made up of various countries including the UK and France...so it baffles the mind to understand how NATO is asking for 488 billion euros....it would be intersting to know who asked for this money on behalf of NATO and where you got this ridiculous bit of fiction from. I suggest you move along with the times and accept that Dictators have no place in today's world.
What is most baffling is how NATO is asking for €488 billion, whilst the UK and France are only asking for €250 million between them. Please enlighten us for a second....if the UK and France played the biggest role in the Libyan revolution, why are they only getting a very small fraction of the sum NATO is asking for? Where is the rest going? Are NATO planning to rescue the Euro or maybe the US Economy? Or is there some other sinister reason for this rather large discrepency of approximately €487.5 billion in your ridiculous reasoning?