The Maltese Foreign Minister, Evarist Bartolo, called on his European and U.S. counterparts to forge a coalition that could gain the Libyan people’s confidence and help end the crisis.
Bartolo said that the goal of the coalition is to ensure a unified Libya and not a proxy theater of war for geopolitical and energy interests.
The Foreign Minister stressed that if the fate of Libya was determined by non-Libyans, it would be against the interest of the Libyan people.
This would not lead to long term stability and peace, and ultimately was not in the interest of the European Union and the United States.
These statements come at a time when Malta is dealing with a surge in the flow of illegal migration from Libya due to the deteriorating security situation.
Bartolo blamed the European Union for not supporting Malta sufficiently.
“The European Union is responsible for reaching a comprehensive agreement with Libya to curb illegal immigration,” he said in a speech to the Maltese Parliament.
He claimed that the number of migrants arriving in Malta is disproportionate compared to other European countries.