Libya is to send a technical delegation to Malta to continue talks on the delineation of the continental shelf between the two countries, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said in parliament today.

Replying to a parliamentary question, he said the issue had been under discussion between the two countries for the past 23 years both at a political and technical level.

Since the issue was a sensitive one, Dr Borg said he could not give further details. He confirmed, however, that Malta had made 'concrete proposals' to both Libya and Italy.

The issue has been rumbling since 1980s when Libya sent a gunboat and a submarine to stop an oil rig from exploring a section of the Medina Bank 68 miles south of Malta.

Part of the median line was established by the International Court of Justice in 1985 in a decision which was viewed by many as being detrimental to Malta. However other sections of the sea border between Malta, Libya and Tunisia have still not been properly delineated, causing problems regarding the granting of acreage for oil exploration.

Malta has proposed joint exploration as a way out of the dispute.