A Libyan delegation is meeting senior Armed Forces of Malta officers for further talks on Search-and-Rescue (SAR) cooperation between the two countries.

The Libyan eight-man delegation is headed by Engineer Mohammed Ahmed Rashid, General Manager of Tripoli Port, and he is accompanied by other engineers from the Libyan maritime authorities and military officers of the Libyan coast guard.

The aim of these talks is to bring about an agreement on SAR cooperation in a number of operational and training fields. Much headway has been made these last 11 months, especially since the Libyan authorities warmly hosted a Maltese delegation in Tripoli made up of AFM, Malta Maritime Authority and Foreign Affairs Ministry officials.

Brigadier Carmel Vassallo said that he hopes that Libya will take up the offer to train their personnel in Malta on various aspects of SAR mission-planning and coordination, considering the excellent spirit of goodwill, friendship and co-operation our country has with our Libyan neighbours, who have been receptive to these offers.

Also present for these talks is the Libyan ambassador to Malta, Saad El Shalmani, who thanked the AFM senior officers for their hospitality, and commented on the broader prospects of the mutual interests shared between the two countries as not being limited to just SAR, but would also include marine pollution and border management issues. He also remarked favourably on the fact that Libya stands to benefit greatly from Malta’s vast experience in the conduct and co-ordination of SAR-missions in the Mediterranean Sea

During these talks with the AFM, the Libyan delegation is also to visit the REMPEC centre at Manuel Island and the Malta Freeport in Birzebbuga. Colonel Emanuel Mallia, HQ AFM’s staff officer operations, is heading the talks from the Maltese side.