The strong cooperation between Malta and Libya in security we can continue to replicate in other areas such as renewable energy in the context of a strategic partnership between Europe and North Africa
- Prime Minister Robert Abela with a bilateral meeting in Tripoli with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh where the extension of an agreement on immigration was signed.
In an address he made at a news conference in Tripoli after Malta and Libya signed the extension of an agreement to combat illegal immigration, Prime Minister Robert Abela claimed that immigration is part of a very important discussion. deeper about important strategic relations between Europe and countries in North Africa, such as Libya.
The Maltese Prime Minister also said this after bilateral meetings he had in Tripoli with the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Prime Minister Abela claimed that Malta sees in Libya a strategic partner with the European Union in the Mediterranean in important areas such as renewable energy. They said this in the context of the policy embraced by Malta in favor of the importance of the Mediterranean region and that our country has the credibility to push for a strategic partnership between Europe and North Africa. This our country is stressing about even with the argument in favor of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean and he showed it with the facts at the MED9 meeting in our country where it was supported that we make the Mediterranean a center of clean energy that spurs the commitment in favor of Europe and A decarbonised Mediterranean, with a clean and independent energy sector.
Before the signing of the agreement extended for three years on the one signed in May four years ago, the Maltese Prime Minister and the Libyan Prime Minister also discussed the potential for the commercial relations between the two countries to continue to grow even in the background of an agreement in favor of air connectivity between the two countries. In fact, Malta was the first Member State of the European Union to resume flights between Malta and Libya. The Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the relations with Libya are focused on the creation of opportunities also in other areas such as the maritime and he said that what the two countries have managed to cooperate on in the field of security we can we continue to replicate it in other sectors. On trade, in the talks with the Libyan Prime Minister, Dr. Abela said that Malta can continue to facilitate and serve as a center for logistics between Europe and North Africa. Here he mentioned how our country has ports equipped to serve as a commercial bridge between the two continents.
Prime Minister Robert Abela also noted that our country is recognizing the importance of strategic cooperation with the Libyan Government regarding immigration. This is through training and assistance also in the civil protection given by the Maltese authorities to the Libyans, in the face of challenges that Libya also has as a transitory country for immigrants. Dr. Abela said that the agreement between the two countries has already meant saving the lives of thousands of people including women and children and a sharp reduction in the arrivals of irregular immigrants.
“The issue of immigration is not fully addressed and there is always work to be done but today we are here to reiterate our commitment to work together because what we have said consistently: that we cannot address illegal immigration without the commitment of European countries with countries of transit or origin we continue to support it with strength”, stressed Prime Minister Robert Abela on the eve of a Forum on immigration that he will be addressing in Tripoli at the invitation of the Libyan Government. The Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum has the participation of Member States of the European Union, the European Commission and African countries.
Accompanying the Prime Minister Robert Abela in the meetings in Tripoli are the Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri, the Minister for the Interior, Security and Work Byron Camilleri, Cabinet Secretary Ryan Spagnol , and the Head of the Secretariat within the Office of the Prime Minister Mark Mallia.
