Your columnist Lino Spiteri (March 27) cogently argued that it is not enough for local authorities to explain Malta’s position on the Libya situation only locally, and that a carefully formulated information campaign should be drawn up to explain our position abroad clearly and fully. He is quite right, and it should be done as soon as possible.
When I was the Malta Export Trade Corporation’s (Metco) chief executive in the early 1990s, Malta was faced with a broadly similar situation.
Metco’s task was to promote and increase Malta’s exports of goods and services, but in addition to taking specific actions towards this aim, we found that something more fundamental was often necessary.
This was to correct the widely held impression among foreigners that Malta was merely a ‘sun-and-sea’ resort, and to convince them that Malta was in fact a place where they could do serious business.
When ambassadors of other countries came to Malta to present their credentials, their programme customarily included a visit to Metco. I always took the opportunity to give them a brief overview of Malta’s long history in addition to a realistic (that is, without overselling) account of Malta’s trade capabilities, backed up by facts and figures.
Evidently reacting to events in previous years, several ambassadors, especially those of northern European countries, politely asked about our relations with Libya. Politely, but pointedly, with thinly veiled disapproval.
My reply used to be that Malta was a small country with no expansionary ambitions and posed no threat to anyone. All we wanted was to live in peace and to trade with countries that reciprocated our wish, including our Mediterranean neighbours. Libya was a reality to us, warts and all, and it was very close — melodramatically, a missile shot away.
Finally I would point out that if Libya had any weapons of mass destruction or chemical weapons, a moot point at the time, we had certainly not supplied them.
This sting in the tail of my presentation was directed towards countries that had supplied Libya with weaponry, conveying the message that they were in no position to look disapprovingly at our non-military exports to Libya.
Subsequent comments by some ambassadors clearly indicated that their attitude softened somewhat after my explanations. I doubt that my message, on its own, would have had any great effect on their governments’ position but it was a step in the right direction.
In the present situation Malta needs to direct an appropriate effort on a national level and on a broad front to correct any mistaken impressions.