No Maltese had asked to be evacuated from Libya so far, despite fighting that led the government to reassess its options should the fraught situation deteriorate further, Times of Malta was told.

There was heavy fighting near Tripoli since the forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an assault on the capital last Thursday.

Government sources said that, so far, they had received no requests for any form of assistance from the roughly 50 Maltese nationals in the North African country. Should there be any such requests, the authorities would have to look closely at what options were available as the situation in Libya was changing by the day.

An air strike on the Libyan capital’s only functioning airport, Mitiga, damaged a runway which was temporarily closed

Such incidents, the government sources said, made things more difficult when getting any Maltese out of Libya should the need suddenly arise.

At a meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday, Malta’s permanent representative, Daniel Azzopardi, called for EU unity in dealing with the current Libya crisis.

Situation changing by the day

Malta is supporting the various calls made by the United Nations and the G7 countries against a military solution.

“Coordinated international action in Libya is required under the auspices, and in support, of the United Nations. Malta argued with the Security Council it is imperative that the entire international community comes together in full unity to help reinstate and pursue peace and stability in Libya,” Mr Azzopardi said on Tuesday.

Read: Libya clashes death toll rises to 32

Malta has also urged European Union member states able to exert pressure to do so in a bid to prevent further escalation of conflict in Libya.

On Tuesday, the United Nations decided to postpone a Libyan national conference aimed at drawing up an election roadmap because of fighting raging near the capital.

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