Joseph Muscat accompanies the guests. Photos: Chris Sant FournierJoseph Muscat accompanies the guests. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni and practically half his Cabinet arrived in Malta yesterday evening for an unprecedented diplomatic blitz that is as much aimed at Malta as it is at the international community.

Mr Thinni, his deputy, and four ministers from the 13-strong Cabinet landed at about 5pm on a private jet. They are expected to stay for two to three days.

Their visit was disclosed to the press by the Office of the Prime Minister in the morning but they asked for a media blackout for security reasons.

The Libyan side has faith in Malta as an interlocutor with Europe

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the visit had been requested by the Libyans. Explaining the reason behind the trip, he said it represented the strong relationship between the two countries, which was strengthened in times of need, such as this one.

“Though, as we understand it, this is the first such visit by such a Libyan government delegation to another country [since the recent conflict] this is not really a new development in terms of the relationship between the two countries,” he said.

“The same happened during the 2011 conflict. It represents the closeness between the two peoples, the two governments and the fact that the Libyan side has faith in Malta as an interlocutor with Europe.”

Media blackout for security reasons as delegation arrived

Asked about the security concerns raised by the visit given the unrest in Libya, the spokesman said the government was taking precautions for the sake of the Maltese but also for the safety of the delegation itself.

Diplomatic sources told Times of Malta the Libyan delegation, which was struggling to regain a semblance of control over the North African country, would be keen to use this trip simultaneously as a show of determination and a call for help to the EU and the broader international community.

Government was taking precautions for the sake of the Maltese

In fact, the OPM said the European Commission, which had been informally informed about the trip, had shown significant interest in the visit. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was also briefed about it on Sunday.

Despite representing the government recognised by the international community, Mr Thinni’s Cabinet and the parliament that appointed it effectively lost control over the capital Tripoli and the second largest city Benghazi, on top of other important territory.

Disparate Islamist groups and militias from Misurata – broadly united under the banner of Operation Dawn – rejected the results of the general election in July and coalesced to push the government out of Tripoli and installed a parallel administration instead.

The delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister Abdel Salam al-Badri, Foreign Affairs Minister Moham-med Al Dayri, Economy Minister Manbar Asr, Education Minister Fathi al-Magbari and Information Minister Omar Alqoira. At the briefing, yesterday morning, the OPM also took questions about the mayor of Tripoli, Mahdi al-Harati, who was recently in Malta.

The spokesman said Mr Harati was not on the island any more. However, he clarified that Mr Harati had travelled to Malta as a private citizen with his Irish passport – he had lived in Ireland for 20 years.

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