.png)
.png)
.png)
Malta protests with Italy (but not Libya) over oil exploration rights
The Malta-Libya-Italy oil plot has thickened, with the government of Malta issuing a formal letter of protest to Italy over concessions granted for oil exploration in part of the continental shelf around the islands of Pantelleria, Linosa and Lampedusa.
10 January 2011, 12:00am
Raphael Vassallo
Raphael Vassallo
2 min read
The reason for the protest is that Malta recognises part of the continental shelf as its own national territory, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said in reply to parliamentary question a Labour whip Joe Mizzi.
However, the government of Malta appears to be adopting an entirely different approach with regards to an almost identical dispute with Libya, over a reportedly oil-rich region on the continental shelf separating Europe from Africa.
In March 2008, Libya issued a formal letter warning Heritage Oil Company Ltd – which had been contracted by Malta three months earlier to undertake oil exploration in the region – to desist from any activity in an area that the Great Libyan Arab Socialist Jamahiriya considered part of its territory.
Malta also claims part of the same continental shelf as its own – in particular, an 8,000 sq metre stretch designated as ‘Area 7’ – but the Foreign Ministry stopped short of formally protesting when the Libyan government issued a concession to Sirte Oil Company Ltd to carry out oil exploration in the area.
A concession map published by Libya’s National Oil Corporation in 2007 clearly indicates that the area ceded to Sirte Oil Co. under this agreement covers the same territory for which Malta had granted a concession to Heritage Oil.
But while Heritage Oil has yet to start its operations on account of threats of legal action by Libya, Sirte’s operations are already under way.
It is unclear why Maltawould protest with one government (Italy) but not the other (Libya) over an apparently identical violation of its claimed territorial sovereignty. Observers who spoke to MaltaToday last week suggested that reluctance to jeopardize Libyan investment in Malta (and vice versa) may be a factor.
Efforts to contact the Foreign Ministry proved fruitless at the time of uploading.
SEE ALSO MAP BELOW
•
Why risk all the money laundering and dirty business we have with Libya over a gamble? If Malta does find oil, GonziPN will need a way to siphon it off to swiss bank accounts. So good old boy Gonzi is moving catiously - seeing plenty of opportunities for the GonziPN gravy train, no matter what the outcome is.
•
The government protested with Italy , wow see how scared they made the Italians. They know our incompetent government talks a lot but no action.
This ass licker should make them remove the gas pipe from our territory.What an embarrassment he is to our country.
•
President George Abela should have been man enough to make public what he and President Napolitano discussed when the latter came to visit him. Territorial sovereignty was definitely on the agenda, but Abela kept it secret presuming the subject matter of their discussion would never come out in the open. Our national amateurism emerges each time we reach an important juncture in matters where stakes are perhaps too high for our native intelligence. People like Mintoff are sorely needed in such circumstances but these are not as available as is necessary. Abela certainly does not make the scratch. Gonzi, knowing his own limitations only too well passes on the buck to Abela who gladly acquiesces. But we'ver never voted for Abela and will never - one hopes - be asked to. Yet we shall be asked to vote for Gonzi. Need one comment further?
•
Il-gvern wera kemm hu bla sinsla u bla nitfa zejt f'wiccu meta zamm mistura din l'ittra mill-poplu u ma kienx kapaci jiehu hsieb l'interessi ta'Malta f'din il-kwistjoni. Issa ipprotesta mal-gvern Taljan dwar xi haga simili, u mal-Libja baqa ma ipprotestax. Ara veru ghandna Gvern bla' b==d.
•
Dejjem juru kemm ghandna partit bla sinsla biex ma nghidx bla xi hag'ohra. Mur gieb lil Mintoff joqghod ghal xi haga bhal dik!
Mark Fenech •
Dawn iż-żewġ pajjiżi li hawn ħafna jgħidulhom li huma suppost ħbieb tagħna tajbin biss biex jirkbuna, u gvern tagħna ħallihom jgħaddu pajp tal-gas minn fuq il-blata kontinentali tagħna mingħajr l-ebda benefiċċju għalina. L-anqas jistħu ma jafu, imma sabu gvern rieqed u ħalliehom jagħmlu li jridu. Issa meta jmiss lilna li nieħdu dak li huwa tagħna, t-tnejn li huma jridu jgħidu li huwa tagħhom ukoll.
Alfred Galea •
Maybe Gonzi should ask for Merkel's help while she's here....she wants Malta's help in the EU.....so she scratches his back he scratches her front.
Alex Grech •
i want to show my appreciation to MaltaToday for prominently covering the delicate and important issue of oil exploration. If it wasn’t for this newspaper, we would continue to rely really on the information dished out from our politicians and their media (and i’m including independent media), if not a complete blackout on the whole issue!
I believe that the issue of Oil can be that straw that breaks the camel’s back for an entire political system. Once the whole truth will be revealed, especially what really happened in 1980’s following the medina lines incident and also in 1998, people will revolt against the same parties they blindly supported all their lives!
That’s why a total blackout on the issue, and that’s why it is important that MaltaToday continue to investigate using all its resources.
Joe Tanti •
Kemm qeghdin tajbin fin nofs-in-nhar sibna lil-Libjani ,fit -tramuntana sibna lit-Taljani, imhatra jekk nipprovaw fil-Lvant insibu lil-Griegi. IL-veru ghanda pastizz f Kastilja, fejn huma is-suppost hbieb ewropej.....ahjar ma nipprovawx lanqas fil-punent ghax naxquha ma Gibilta.....insommha nirrasenjaw ruhna li ma ghaniex cans ghal xi barmil zejt li nghidu dan taghna, ahna lanqas Prim Ministru bzejt fwiccu ma sibna.
•
As usual skewed thinking and actions by the incompetents in the PN Government.
