"One year after the uprising in Libya, I remain amazed at what the Libyan people have managed to achieve," Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said today.
"No one would have predicted that in April 2012 we would be talking of a free Libya. This was an achievement of the Libyan people, yes with the contribution of the Nato forces, but what we experienced was a genuine uprising of Libyans who wanted a change after 40 years of dictatorship," he said.
He was closing a seminar on the first anniversary of the Libyan crisis which saw the downfall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The seminar was organised by Nationalist Party think-tank AZAD.
"I am convinced that Libya will be a success story. The bulding blocks are in place and now Libya is looking towards holding its first free election to elect a provisional government which would draft the country's new constitution."
Dr Gonzi said that when the events in Libya were taking place, Malta put its hand on its heart and made a choice.
"We had to take a stand against something that was happening in Libya which went against our core values. Yes, we threw 40 years of relations out of the window but we took a stand, not out of convenience but out of conviction," he said.
Looking to the future, Dr Gonzi said Malta should discuss new ways of doing business with Libya. "Now we have to start a new chapter together. We expect Libya to be on the forefront to achieve stability in the Mediterranean region and also in the Middle East."
He promised Malta's support throughout this process and explained how Libya had a lot of potential, especially on the tourism front.
He expressed hope that Libya will continue giving priority to tackling illegal migration.
"Malta will remain concerned about illegal immigration because we suffered a lot as a result of this influx, probably the worst hit country when taking into consideration our size and densely populated area. We expect Libya to continue controlling its shores," he said.
Regarding Malta's relations with the new Libya, Dr Gonzi said Malta can be used as a gateway to the European markets which Libya could be beneficial to Malta as a gateway to the North African market.