Agreement between Malta and Libya has seen a reduction of irregular migration arrivals - Abela
The agreement between Malta and Libya has meant that thousands of lives have been saved along with there being a strong reduction in terms of irregular migration arrivals, Prime Minister Robert Abela said after a meeting in Tripoli with the Prime Min
The agreement between Malta and Libya has meant that thousands of lives have been saved along with there being a strong reduction in terms of irregular migration arrivals, Prime Minister Robert Abela said after a meeting in Tripoli with the Prime Minister of Libya, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.
An extension of an agreement to combat illegal immigration was signed during the meeting.
Prime Minister Abela said that Malta is recognising the importance of strategic cooperation with the Libyan government in regard to immigration, and referred to the training and assistance in civil protection given by Maltese authorities to Libyans.
He said that although the issue of immigration is not fully addressed and there is always work to be done, the meeting between the two countries was an opportunity to reiterate the commitment to work together, keeping in mind that illegal immigration cannot be addressed without the commitment of European countries and countries of transit or origin, the government said.
The Office of the Prime Minister said that Abela stressed this on the eve of a forum on immigration that he will be addressing in Tripoli at the invitation of the Libyan government. The government said that the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum includes member states of the European Union as well as African countries.
He said that immigration is part of an important and deeper discussion about important strategic relations between Europe and countries in North Africa, such as Libya.
The Prime Minister said that Malta sees Libya as a strategic partner with the European Union in the Mediterranean in important areas such as renewable energy. The government said that this was said in the context that Malta has the credibility to push for a strategic partnership between Europe and North Africa. It added that Malta is stressing this through the argument in favour of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, and that this was shown at the MED9 meeting where it was supported that the Mediterranean could become a centre of clean energy which would spur on the commitment in favour of a decarbonised Europe and Mediterranean with a clean and independent energy sector.
Abela and Dbeibeh discussed the potential for commercial relations between Malta and Libya to grow further, with the background of an agreement in favour of air connectivity between the two countries. The OPM said that Malta was the first EU member state to resume flights to and from Libya.
Abela said that the relations with Libya are focused on the creation of opportunities in other areas as well, such as the maritime sector. He remarked that the two countries have managed to cooperate in security and that this cooperation can be replicated in other sectors.
He added that Malta can continue to facilitate as a centre for logistics between Europe and North Africa, and referred to the country's ports as factors which show how Malta is equipped to serve as a commercial bridge between the two continents.
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