Foreign Minister George Vella yesterday gave a stern warning that the presence of Islamic State militants in Libya could pose an unprecedented security threat in the Mediterranean region and could trigger mass migration.

He said such a situation would draw a strong reaction from Egypt and Algeria, adding that black IS flags were not confined to the Islamic caliphate in Derna but were now also visible in Tripoli.

There was some consolation from Tunisia, where there were clearly encouraging developments, but this did not reflect the situation in most countries, he said.

Algeria was a relatively stable country and it enjoyed enormous business and trade prospects as long as it enjoyed this stability.

If the elderly president were to pass away, one could not say what would happen, he said.

Nevertheless the government felt there was a potential market there and had opened an office, together with Air Malta and Malta Enterprise.

Egypt was another country that had stability but unfortunately still did not enjoy the very purpose of its revolution, which was liberty, democracy and freedom of expression, Dr Vella said.

Nevertheless it was Libya that remained a “huge headache”, he said, adding that after 40 years as a dictatorship the country was in a state of complete free for all.

Siblings were fighting and bombing each other, and the foreseeable future was uncertain.

The little hope that UN representative Bernardino Leon might be able to bring the two sides together had evaporated, as they declared him a persona non grata, among claims that he was biased.

Although the majority of Libyans (80 per cent) would give anything for peace, work and a quiet life, the remaining 20 per cent of the population who wanted this war were heavily armed and dictated otherwise.

Malta had always done a great deal to create dialogue between the two sides, but the diplomatic situation was such that the government had to recall the country’s last remaining diplomats in recent days, as it could not risk their safety.

The problems in the Middle East, which had remained unchanged since 1982, exacerbated the situation.

Lack of trust that reigned meant that nothing could be built. The destruction in Gaza, coupled with the 1.8 million packed into a space the size of Malta, was shocking.

It remained a huge headache and, after 40 years as a dictatorship, Libya was a free for all

It was embarrassing that not a single cent of the money pledged to the rebuilding of Gaza had materialised, but this could be down to the fact that nobody wanted to spend money until a real commitment to rebuilding was noted. Some €200 million had been donated by Qatar, he said.

All this faded into insignificance when compared to what was going on in Iran, Syria and Iraq.

In some way discussions in Iran seemed to be still underway, and as long as this was happening there was at least some form of control.

Syria and Iraq were most out of control – the situation was best described as “anomalous”.

The reach of IS was just kilometres away from Baghdad, instilling fears that it would seize the city.

The Kurds resisted, and now 80,000 people were living in tents and relying on humanitarian aid.

These were the topics under constant discussion in Foreign Affairs Council meetings, he said. Malta had to highlight this situation as in Europe the focus tended to be on the situation in Ukraine, which was far from ideal.

There were long months of debates between those wanting drastic measures taken against Russia, such as action by Nato, and those who were more cautious for obvious commerce-related reasons.

Dr Vella said the fact the EU foreign affairs chief was the former Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini, someone who understood the problems in the Mediterranean, put Malta in a better position to bring the region’s issues to the forefront.

He said the government and the Opposition must work in harmony, keeping each other updated “to keep afloat in these rough seas we are navigating”.