Dr Gonzi referred to his meeting with the Libyan leader during the press conference he gave with European Union commissioner designate Josè Manuel Barroso.

“I also spoke to the (Libyan) Prime Minister and said it was a problem for Malta, and speaking on behalf of the European Union, I said it was a problem for us (the union as a whole) too. But they know. They realise and they view it as a concern too,” said Dr Gonzi.

He said the Libyan authorities and Malta both agreed on increased levels of cooperation to try and thwart the threat. “We also spoke about the issue of visas and the problems that Maltese businessmen are finding in Libya. We know we have the voice and we know we have the mission to try and sort out these problems with a fellow Mediterranean country,” he said.

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and Libyan secretary for Foreign Affairs Abdel Rahman Shalgam met at the Libyan Foreign Office in Tripoli for bilateral talks late on Tuesday evening.

Both ministers reiterated their positions to strengthen relations between Malta and Libya. Minister Frendo said that Malta welcomes Libya’s eventual participation in the EuroMed process. Other issues discussed included visas and illegal immigration.

Minister Frendo formed part of the Maltese delegation in Tripoli headed by Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tonio Borg.

Minister Frendo also participated in the Prime Minister’s meeting with Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi and with Libyan Prime Minister Dr Shukri Ghanem.