Malta and Libya have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Cooperation on an interconnector between Malta and Libya.

This agreement was signed in Tripoli following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Robert Abela and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Energy, security, and economic cooperation were on the agenda in discussions between the two leaders.

Addressing journalists in Tripoli after the meeting with the Libyan Prime Minister, Abela described the signed agreement as a good opportunity for both sides and stated that he looks forward to concrete projects in the energy sector that would benefit the people of both countries.

“Libya has strong potential for generating renewable energy, and in the context of this country becoming a strategic partner with the European Union, Malta can be ready to serve as a green energy hub that connects Europe with Africa,” said Abela, emphasising the importance of cooperation in the use of alternative energy.

He mentioned this in the background of a meeting he had in recent days with the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and in the context of the agreement reached in Malta this year at the MED9 summit between energy ministers of several European Union member states located in the Mediterranean.

Abela also discussed the desire for increased trade collaboration between Malta and Libya, which could be strengthened through the possibility of increased direct flights between the two countries and the expansion of Maltese businesses in Upper Africa.

Regarding the security theme, which also included the issue of immigration, Abela thanked the Libyan Government for its efforts to reduce arrivals and highlighted that the cooperation model between Malta and Libya can also be applied at the European level within the European Union.

Abela expressed a positive outlook on the commitments towards further stability in Libya and expressed the Maltese Government’s support for reaching political agreement and a legal framework that would lead to a political process led by Libyans under the auspices of the United Nations.

He also assured that Malta will continue to work for Libya to remain high on the agenda of the United Nations and the European Union.

Accompanying the Maltese Prime Minister on the official visit to Libya were, among others, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli and Cabinet Secretary Ryan Spagnol.