Labour will be setting up committees with the Libyan government to discuss energy and cooperation between North African and Mediterranean countries.

Describing the agreement as a "breakthrough for the opposition", Labour leader Joseph Muscat said on his return from a brief visit to Tripoli that, should the committees reach any agreements before the MLP was in government, he would not have a problem with the government reaping the benefits.

The visit followed an invitation received from the Libyan government in July.

During his visit Dr Muscat said the delegation - which included MLP international secretary Alex Sceberras Trigona - had interesting meetings with Libyan government representatives during which they discussed illegal immigration and the EU-Libyan negotiations on the subject.

Dr Muscat thanked former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff for his "continuous interest" in the visit.

He did not meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as that was not the purpose of the visit but urged the Libyan leader to accept a pending invitation to visit Malta.

The MLP will shortly publish its initial technical analysis of the new utility tariffs proposed by the government. He said it is "unacceptable" that while governments across the world are seeking to "bail out the economy" the opposite is happening in Malta were the "economy is bailing out the government".