The new Libya has no intention of using migration as political blackmail but frozen assets have to be released for the country to be able to control its borders, according to interim Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in Tripoli after the two met yesterday, Mr El-Keib said the interim Libyan government needed the money.

He repeatedly harped on this message, insisting the interim government appointed three days ago would use the money in a transparent manner for the benefit of all the Libyan people.

“We felt Malta’s sincerity when it insisted the assets be unfrozen as quickly as possible,” he added, reflecting Dr Gonzi’s message.

The Maltese Prime Minister said Malta wanted the United Nations to unfreeze the Libyan assets in the fastest way possible because the money was important for Libya’s proper functioning.

Dr Gonzi was in Libya for a one-day visit, his first since the fall of the Gaddafi regime.

The two leaders held an hour-long meeting during which they discussed issues of common interest such as migration, the delineation of the continental shelf, the stability of the region and fishing rights.

Dr Gonzi said the meeting served to prepare the groundwork for a roadmap of cooperation between both countries.

Mr El-Keib hailed the historic relations between Malta and Libya but in diplomatic overtones criticised certain decisions of the Gaddafi regime.

“The relations between both countries are historic apart from the past 42 years when they were characterised by fog on one side that took decisions that were not in the interest of the two peoples,” Mr El-Keib said without elaborating. Referring to Dr Gonzi as his brother, the Libyan Prime Minister praised Malta’s role during the revolution and thanked the country for standing by the Libyan people.

The two Libyan pilots who had defied orders to bomb civilian targets and defected to Malta with their Mirage jets at the start of the conflict were also present for the meeting.

“You are looking good. You are looking better,” Dr Gonzi told the pilots, asking them about the wellbeing of their families.

In the afternoon Dr Gonzi and his delegation flew to the port city of Misurata, which in contrast to Tripoli, is rife with scars from the war.

Dr Gonzi was warmly welcomed by the Misurata city council at the airport and taken to a makeshift museum with relics of the war.

Inside the building, managed by a volunteer, there was a display of photos of all those who died in the eight-month conflict. Among the martyrs, as they are called, the photos of children stood out.

The museum also houses the infamous gold arm clutching a US jet, which was erected at the Bab al-Aziziya compound in remembrance of the US air raid in the 1980s that purportedly killed Col. Gaddafi’s adopted daughter.

It is now adorned with the new Libyan flag and full of anti-Gaddafi graffiti.

Throughout the conflict when Misurata was besieged by Gaddafi loyalist forces, Malta served as a lifeline for the city since it was the only access point for humanitarian aid that enabled the rebel fighters to hold on.

Malta’s effort has left its mark on Misurata and a small reflection of this is a photo in the museum of Defence Director Vanessa Frazier during a visit there in September. Ms Frazier was instrumental in coordinating the aid effort.

Dr Gonzi was accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonio Borg and Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.

The delegation was also joined by Malta’s ambassador to Libya Victor Camilleri, who started his permanent residency in the country last week.