George Vella meets Libyan PM, Italian Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister George Vella held two bilateral meetings, one with the Prime Minister of Libya Ali Zedian, and another one with his Italian counterpart, the newly instated Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini. 

The meeting took place on the margins of the International Conference on Libya organised by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Vella stated that Italy and Malta have a very important role to play in assisting Libya.

The two Ministers agreed that bilateral relations between Italy and Malta are special and expressed their respective commitment to further reinforce bilateral and regional cooperation, particularly on issues related to the Mediterranean.

Italian minister Mogherini observed that Mediterranean affairs will be central to the Italian Presidency that will kick off in July 2014. The two Ministers discussed developments in the broader region, touching upon Syria and Libya in particular. The latest developments in Ukraine were also mentioned in light of the European Council discussions that were taking place during the day.

In Rome, Minister Vella also met with Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, who thanked the Government of Malta for the unwavering support extended to the people of Libya.

Prime Minister Zeidan referred to the excellent relations between the two countries, which were further intensified over the past months through the holding of high-level political meetings.

On his part, Minister Vella assured the Libyan Prime Minister of Malta’s continued cooperation in the stabilisation of the country and in registering further progress in bilateral ties on all fronts.