UN making too many conditions for release of Libyan assets - Foreign Minister

Malta has no interest in delaying the release of frozen Libyan assets or the two Mirage jet fighters flown to Malta early in the Libyan conflict, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The minister said the government has already written to the UN Security Council on the issue, but the world organisation was making too many conditions for the release.

Dr Borg warned that if the transitional government was allowed to run out of cash for the payment of wages it could look to Iran or other regimes with all the ramifications.

Answering questions by committee members, he said that at this stage it would not be wise to expect to reach any agreement on oil exploration with the transitional government, but the two countries could move forward on other aspects.

He said the government had designated the AFM's Col. Andrew Mallia to join an EU team to help Libya's better surveillance of its 2,000 km of coast and 7,000 km of frontiers.

The Libyan transitional government was showing great interest in joining the Union for the Mediterranean and the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, and Malta lost no time in agreeing and giving its written consent.