LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced the extension of an agreement on migration with Libya, following bilateral meetings between Abela and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli. The agreement, initially signed in May 2020, has been extended for another three years.
Abela praised the existing agreement’s effectiveness, claiming it has “meant saving the lives of thousands of people including women and children and a sharp drop in arrivals of irregular immigrants.” He stressed the need for continued cooperation between European countries and countries of transit or origin to address illegal immigration. The agreement will include training and assistance in civil protection provided by Maltese authorities to Libyan counterparts.
However, the extension of this agreement comes amid longstanding concerns about the treatment of migrants in Libya. Malta has also faced repeated accusations of ignoring distress calls and participating in illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers to Libya, a country deemed unsafe for disembarkation by the United Nations.
During a press conference, Abela emphasised the strategic importance of the partnership between Malta and Libya, framing it within a broader context of EU-North African relations.
The timing of this agreement came just ahead of today’s Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum in Tripoli. This summit will bring together EU member states, the European Commission, and African countries to discuss migration issues.
Robert Abela will address the Forum on Migration in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, the Maltese Prime Minister highlighted potential collaborations in sectors such as renewable energy and trade. He added Malta could serve as a “commercial bridge” between Europe and North Africa.Abela said Malta viewed Libya as a strategic partner with the European Union in the Mediterranean in important areas such as renewable energy.
“Malta emphasised the importance of the Mediterranean region… our country has the credibility to push for a strategic partnership between Europe and North Africa. Our country is also advocating for a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, as evidenced by the MED9 meeting in Malta, where we stressed that the Mediterranean should be made a centre of clean energy that drives the commitment for a decarbonised Europe and Mediterranean”, Abela said.
The two counterparts also discussed the potential for further growth in commercial relations between the two countries, including an agreement on air connectivity. Malta was the first EU member state to resume flights between Malta and Libya. “Malta can continue to facilitate and serve as a logistics hub between Europe and North Africa”, Abela said, describing the two countries’ ports as “a commercial bridge between the two continents”.
-photo DOI-
(ITALPRESS).
