Deputy Prime Minister Sadiq Abdulkarim Abdulrahman was present at Castille this afternoon before both Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy engaged in talks.

The Libyan deputy prime minister’s visit did not form part of the programme sent by the Department of Information to media organisations.

Mr Van Rompuy held an unannounced meeting with Mr Abdulkarim which lasted around 20 minutes, the meeting understood to have been organised by Dr Muscat.

During a meeting with EASO's director held at the end of last month, Dr Muscat urged the EU to assist Libya while adding that Malta was in talks with Libya with the aim of easing pressure it was facing from its southern borders, referring to immigration.

Dr Muscat was in Libya on June 23 where he met his Libyan counterpart Ali Zeidan.